Fallen
by Hotaru-hime
Summary: Sakura POV. There is a lot for Sakura to deal with as the time to take on Orochimaru draws nearer. She finds herself thrust right in the middle of the chaos...and pregnant.
1. Prologue

Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. A quick note before I start; this is something of a sequel fic to my other fic 'Rogue'. However, the response to Rogue was extremely lacking and I found writing it out to be difficult. But then again, that fic isn't necessary to understand this one; I just wanted to try hashing some ideas out in that instead of cramming them here. Ah well, what can you do? Anyways, this is strictly a Sakura POV fic with multiple pairings. It's based in the Naruto II storyline but it's very AU. As a warning, this fanfic is extremely dark and this prologue has adult content.

Fallen

_Am I dreaming?_

_The air feels too thick. It's hard to breathe. And everything looks fuzzy. Maybe if I sit up I'll sit better._

_If I can manage to sit up. My body feels like lead. It feels like my strength is draining as I try to brace my hands on the futon._

_Okay, I managed that. Now I just have to force myself up. It's almost pitiful how difficult this is. This had better be a dream. If Kakashi-sensei or even Tsunade-sensei saw the effort I put into trying to sit up they'd both scold me for lagging in training put me on a strenuous regiment._

_All right, I'm sitting up. But this doesn't look like my bedroom. Wait, was I suppose to be doing something? I can't remember. Oh well, dreams aren't suppose to make sense anyways._

_But I don't feel better. If anything, the air seems even more suffocating. I can't get a breath in. What kind of dream is this?!_

_Ugh, I have to get out of this room before it kills me. The door seems too far away. Ah, the window!! Somehow I get enough strength to climb to my feet and stagger over to the window. I lean my whole body's force into it, nearly falling out of the window as it opens._

_Blessed fresh air!! I take in huge gulps of the cool air, the relief from the still air of my room almost too much. The whole area seemed illuminated by the full moon and stars, almost as bright as day. This was the most basic dream I'd ever had. I can't breathe properly so I have to open a window?_

_But it doesn't make me feel completely better. My head still feels heavy and my vision is still fuzzy. I can't get in a clear concise thought._

"_Sakura…"_

_I freeze. Who said that? Did someone call my name?_

"_Sakura…"_

_Yeah, that was someone calling my name. The voice was too soft, so I couldn't tell if it were a man or a woman._

_My rubbery legs seem to have solidified. With the first hushed call they twitched. The second call had my left leg lifting up beyond my control. It was like I was moving by some compulsion; like I **needed** to follow that voice. I didn't have control over myself. I should've been frightened._

_But I wasn't._

_The third call of that soft voice had me hanging halfway out my window. I'm sure if I could think clearly I would be panicking._

_Wait, wasn't this whole thing a dream? So what did it matter if I followed the voice or not? If it got too bad I could force myself to wake up._

_I jumped out the window. It was only on the second floor, but my descent to the ground almost seemed like in slow motion. It was like I was floating, which didn't usually happen to me. If I was jumping or falling, I fell down fast. But it was nice and easy, and when I finally touched down I landed gracefully on my feet._

_The compulsion was strong now that I was out in the open. I felt something like a tug, though there wasn't anyone else around. I follow the tug, my legs feeling even stronger though the rest of me was sluggish._

_I was being led through the woods, away from the building. The night air was so chilly and the soft cool winds didn't help matters. Why couldn't my dreams be warmer?_

_I heard the sounds of the animals in the woods around me, but I wasn't afraid. I didn't really feel anything at the moment._

_Finally, the tugging ceased. My vision was still blurred, but I could see I had left the forest. I stood in front of an exquisite lake, the surface shimmering in the moonlight. Trees surrounded the whole area and I could see no signs of anyone, whether just in person or in building._

_Something in me told me I should be panicking, but I didn't. I was confused though. Why was I all the way out here?_

"_Sakura."_

_I gasped. It sounded soft, though something in me knew it should've sounded louder. Now that I had reached the destination, I could decipher the voice that had compelled me to come. I turn my heavy head slowly as a figure emerges from behind a tree nearby. _

"_Sasuke-kun…" was that really my voice? I was speaking too softly. I always imagined myself screaming when I saw him again._

_I blinked several times to clear away the blurring in my sight, but it didn't work. But I could see it was indeed Sasuke who stood in front of me. _

"_Sasuke-kun." There, now I was crying. My head felt numb now. I was happy to see him, but I wasn't supposed to be. Until we pulled him from Orochimaru's grasp he's still a danger._

_Oh wait. This is a dream. Then what do I have to worry about? The real Sasuke wouldn't just appear out of nowhere, anyways. Especially to see only me._

_Sasuke was silent, though he seemed to be looking at me intently. I couldn't tell with my hazy sight and my tears. So it was a surprise for me when he was suddenly very close to me. He raised his hands and touched my upper arms. He gave me a little push and I found myself walking backwards._

_Something odd was going on. I knew it in my gut. But I still couldn't think properly. I couldn't figure out anything. So I put up no fight as Sasuke backed me up until my back was pressed against the unyielding surface of a tree._

_He let me go then. But he didn't stop touching me. I felt his hand touch my face, tracing my bottom lip. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach, replacing the unease. Before I could react, Sasuke's lips were on mine._

_Ah, this was turning into a very nice dream. I'd always imagined what it would feel like to kiss Sasuke, but none of my fantasies compared to this. His lips were firm against mine, but with a subtle touch of tenderness. I forced my eyes open to look at him. At such close range I could clearly see his handsome face. But his eyes were firmly closed, concentrating on his task._

_Then his lips left mine, to my own disappointment. But his lips soon found home on my neck. They glided over my skin, a soft caress almost not touching my skin. His hand pushed at the collar of my sleeping shirt to nip at my shoulder. Inwardly, I was relieved this dream had me clad in the same clothes I went to bed in, a short-sleeved shirt reaching my knees and black shorts. If I were wearing any less I'd probably die of embarrassment…in the dream of course._

_I wanted to touch him. I wanted to wrap Sasuke in my arms and hold him close to me, never letting him go. But my arms were frozen at their sides. My whole body was frozen in fact; I only moved if Sasuke touched me._

_And he did touch me. He pushed his hands under my shirt; his hands surprisingly warm against the cool night. His hands ran over my breasts and my body grew hot and my already heavy head heavier. No one had ever touched me like that; I'd never allowed anyone to get so close to me. It was almost like I had been deliberately saving myself for this moment._

_Too bad it wasn't real._

_The front side of my body suddenly felt colder. I deliriously realized Sasuke had pushed my shirt up and his lips were exploring where his hands had just moments before. When they came in contact with my chest it felt like explosions were sounding throughout my body. Gods, how I wanted to touch him! But my hands remained unmoving at my sides._

_I wished this assault on my senses could last longer. But Sasuke soon lifted his head and my shirt slid back into place. But he didn't stop. He rested his hands on my hips. A million warnings seemed to flash in my mind, but I didn't hear them. Why would I want this dream to end when it was just getting better?_

_One of his hands slid down my right thigh. Even with cloth separating our skin it left a burning trail. His hand stopped when he reached the hem of my shirt. For a moment his hand rested there and I wondered, even through the haze in my head, if he was going to stop. _

_He didn't and he pushed his hand under my shirt again. But this time his hand stopped at the top of my shorts. He pulled on them and I vaguely realized he was pulling them down my legs. Something in me told me I had to stop this. But I couldn't move; I could barely hold my head up. Whatever compulsion brought me here was now holding me down._

_Not that I cared._

_The shorts came down to my knees when Sasuke touched my leg again. He lifted it up high, and my shorts slid lower. He gave a final tug and they went past my foot and were off almost completely; they still hung on my left leg. But he didn't paid this any heed as he hooked an arm under me and lifted me up off my feet and pinned me to the tree. He bent both of my legs, locking them at his sides. Something **did **seem wrong at that moment, but I didn't put up any resistance. I simply didn't care._

_Until the pain came. I was use to pain, being a Ninja, but this still hurt me a lot. But usually my dreams were pain-free. I moaned softly, trying in vain to get away. But my body wouldn't obey me._

"_You're all right, Sakura," said Sasuke softly, touching my hair comfortingly. "Shh, you'll be okay. It'll be over soon…"_

_It was crazy to use 'Sasuke' and 'comfort' in the same sentence, but that's how it was. He was trying to comfort me from the pain._

_Then he was moving against me. It felt so weird to me. But he was right; the pain ebbed away and was replaced by hot lava. I'd never felt anything like this before, but it was the strongest feeling I was feeling. Stronger than the doubt and the weariness. I couldn't control it; it felt too good._

_My strength seemed to be returning, as I could finally move my limbs. But all I could was wrap my arms and legs around him, my head arching against the tree, as the sensations grew higher._

_Sasuke seemed just as influenced by all this as I was. His head was tucked into my shoulder and his breath grew ragged and heavy as he moved faster. I hoped he was feeling what I had been feeling._

_Suddenly, it all seemed to end. I let out a soft cry as the sensations reached a peak; I'm sure if it were reality I would've screamed. As I sagged against the tree, my strength now nonexistent, Sasuke stilled against me and groaned. _

_I felt like I couldn't breathe on my own. My eyelids were so heavy I couldn't even keep them open. I immediately felt the disdain of him drawing away from me. I felt empty and my body cold. But he didn't go completely away. I felt him lift me into his arms and lay me down on the cool grass. Then he left my side and approached the lake. I thought I heard a soft splash, but the darkness was surrounding me. It felt like I was about to sleep._

_But I was already asleep…_


	2. Part 1

Part 1

I knew I had woken up late again before I even opened my eyes. Bright golden rays illuminated my room, letting me know it was close to mid-morning.

"What the hell?" I mumbled to myself, burying my head back under my pillow. I reached out and felt around for my alarm clock. Once I got a hold of it I pulled it under the pillow with me.

Oh, 9:30…9:30?! I wasn't just late I was _very _late!!

I sat up as quickly as I could, which was a pitiful feat. It felt like I was dragging three sacks of rice up with me, my limbs were so tired.

_I went to bed early enough, _I thought, shaking my head. _Kakashi-sensei even let me leave training early. So why'd I wake up late again?_

It didn't matter why I didn't wake up. The fact was I didn't and would have to face the consequences for it. Again.

I finally managed to get out of bed. But as I rushed to my closet to get my ninja gear fire lanced through my abdomen. Gasping softly, I clutched my stomach as if that would somehow alleviate the pain. It didn't and the fire burned its way upward. I vaguely realized I was about to be sick and rushed over to a corner of my room. I grabbed the pail I had put there days before and had barely lifted it high enough when it erupted. I squeezed my eyes shut as I puked my brains out in the bucket.

_Real attractive Sakura, _I thought to myself, leaning against the wall waiting for the nausea to subside. _A Medic-nin with a knack for healing and you still can't beat off this stupid cold._

I certainly felt like it was a stupid cold. It tired me and distracted me from training. Not to mention it wasn't going away.

But I shrugged it off and got up to get ready. Cold or not, I still had to focus on my work.

Once I was dressed, I hurried downstairs. I realized I was ravenously hungry and made a beeline for the kitchen. The silence in the kitchen was all too apparent and it got to me right away. I made as much noise as possible as I opened the refrigerator. It was empty; I hadn't really had time to refill it.

_All right, I go without breakfast, _I mused, slamming it shut. _Won't be the first time._

I rushed to finish getting ready, but it didn't really have anything to do with being late. My house was too quiet and if I had to listen to the sound of nothing any longer I was probably going to cry.

_That's probably what's causing your "cold". Kakashi-sensei and Tsunade-sensei seem to think so. Just take it one step at a time, Sakura…_

I kept myself under control as I headed out. I ran as fast as I could for the training grounds, silently praying Kakashi-sensei took his time even longer this morning so he wouldn't notice I was later than everyone else.

But I quickly braced myself as I made it to the grounds. He was already there, along with Naruto and Sai. I groaned in dismay. Even Naruto wasn't tardy!! I really _was_ losing my focus!!

Kakashi halted in whatever he was saying and glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. "Enjoying the morning, Sakura?"

"I-I-I'm sorry!!!" I gasped, struggling to catch my breath. "I forgot to set my alarm!!"

"Again," muttered Sai. Smartass.

"Sensei!!" said Naruto, waving his hand as if he were in class. "Why don't we all just sleep in?!"

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders, obviously ignoring them. "No matter. I don't make a habit of repeating myself, but our lesson today is going to be a simple spar. Since you arrived late, you'll be sitting out today Sakura."

I nodded my head, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry."

"Now then." Kakashi turned his back on me. "I want you both to test out your abilities. But only minimally; I'm not in the mood to haul anyone off to the hospital."

"Right!!" said Naruto and Sai. They ran off a distance and got into position.

I took a seat on the grass, letting out a huge sigh. Now that I was there and had to watch them, I didn't even know why I got out of bed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Huh?" I glanced up at Kakashi. "I'm all right. Why?"

"Because this is the sixth time this month you've been late, Sakura. Considering the amount of time you put into putting up a good image, this isn't exactly like you."

"I'm feeling a little under the weather, that's all." I was a little put-off by his words. I don't put too much time in my image!!!

Did I?

"…I was thinking that maybe you should talk to someone at the hospital."

"I told you I—"

"I don't mean about your physical health, Sakura. Everyone can tell you're hurting, no matter how much you hide it."

I squeezed my eyes shut. He had a point; I was in a lot of pain. Everything overall in the past three years has frustrated the hell out of me. And everything that happened in the past few months have been exceptionally hard.

_I can thank Yutaka Akio for all that._

"All right," I conceded. "I haven't been dealing with things as best as I should be. But I promise I will get better, Kakashi-sensei. And if things do get tough, I'll go talk to somebody about it."

Kakashi put his hand on my shoulder. "I want you to promise me you _will_ do that. I know exactly what you're going through and believe me, keeping it bottled all inside won't do you any good. Look what it did to Sasuke."

I flinched. Lately hearing Sasuke's name made me feel uneasy. It was weird; generally my thoughts of Sasuke are worry, guilt, and even affection. I didn't know why I felt like that, but I didn't give it much thought anyways.

"I know Kakashi," I said finally. "I don't ever intend to get to that point. Ever."

"You nearly did."

"I nearly did," I echoed.

Kakashi gave my shoulder a pat. "Tell you what; I'll let you spar today. But I don't want this tardiness to become a habit. It may be difficult, but can I count on you to have your head in the game?"

I nodded vigorously. "Of course!!"

"All right." He turned to the boys, who were still sparring. "Naruto!! Take a seat, Sakura's next!!"

"Ah, c'mon!!" yelled Naruto, though he was covered in dirt. "You said she had to sit out today!!"

"I changed my mind!! Now, get over here!!"

"No way!! I was having the upper hand!!"

Naruto needed a little "friendly persuasion" on Kakashi-sensei's behalf, but he ended up where he was told to be…albeit, his whole body buried up to his chin.

_That happened to Sasuke-kun, too, _I thought with amusement before my stomach lurched at thinking about Sasuke. But I shook it off as I faced off against Sai.

Sai took one look at me and snorted. "Great. So not only do I spar against ugly, but a fat and ugly?"

"I'm NOT fat!!!" I growled, pumping my fists. "I'm in great shape!!"

Sai shrugged his shoulders. "I only call it as I see it."

One thing I can thank Sai for; he sure knows how to help me forget my problems.

I pulled out a few kunai and lunged at him. But I was pissed and he was expecting it and dodged it. Of course, this only made me angrier and I kept attacking him. And in turn he kept dodging, not really trying to attack me in any way.

Was this even sparring? I don't know. And Kakashi didn't seem inclined to stop and correct us. Either that or he was a little preoccupied torturing Naruto.

This went on for a few minutes and it started getting monotonous. I went from being pissed at him for calling me fat to being pissed at him for not even trying to spar with me. For his part, he seemed thoroughly amused by this.

As he dodged another one of my attacks, I startled stumbling widely. As I tried to regain my balance, I realized I was feeling sick again. But I wasn't just the nausea. My head felt extremely light and my vision was full of dark patches.

Shit, maybe I _did _have a cold.

"Are you done yet?" asked Sai.

I couldn't muster a reply. I wasn't able to regain my balance and was out before I hit the ground.

---

I came awake again so suddenly I was stunned. "Ack!!"

"There, she's awake," said Sai. At least it sounded like Sai, my vision was rather hazy. "I told you I didn't do anything."

"Sakura-chan!!" cried Naruto. He shoved his face right into mine. "Are you okay?!"

"She'll be all right," said Kakashi, pushing Naruto away from me. As my vision cleared I saw him stash something in his pouch. "She just needs to go home and get some rest."

"Kakashi-sensei, I feel fine!!" I pleaded, trying to shake off the fatigue I'd felt. Even though I agreed with him, it was so embarrassing. I just past out in the middle of a spar!! And Sai didn't even touch me!!"

Kakashi gave me a stern look. "I'm ordering you to go home, Sakura. Eat a hot meal and go straight to bed. If you don't feel well in the morning then stay home. But I don't want to see you do that again."

I felt my face burning and I ducked my head. "…All right."

Kakashi insisted on sending Naruto or Sai with me to make sure I got home safe. But I angrily argued against this. I might not have been at the top of my game, but I wasn't a helpless waif. After a while he relented and sent me on my way.

I didn't go home right away, though. Even though I still felt a little sick, my growling stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten anything all day. And when I thought about what I could eat for lunch, I remembered my refrigerator was empty back home.

"Let's see…" I muttered, patting myself down. I heard my money bag jingle and I sighed in relief. I didn't have to make any unnecessary trips to and from my house.

Shopping for groceries also provided a bit of a distraction for me. I still didn't quite have the hang of shopping for groceries, but I quickly understood the idea of avoiding needless spending. I kind of wish I paid attention when I went out shopping with my mom.

My chest tightened to think that, so I brushed it off and concentrated on a carrot stand.

"Well, looks who's here."

I jumped a little and turned my head. If anyone looked out of place in a market, it was Ino. She wasn't in her ninja gear like I was, but her short blue dress revealed a lot more skin than anything I had in my closet.

"Hi, Ino," I said dully, turning back to the carrot stand. "Shouldn't you be training?"

"I could say the same thing about you, Sakura." Ino picked up a carrot between two fingers and made a face. "You're in your gear, after all."

"Kakashi-sensei sent me home for the day." I picked up one of the bundles and motioned to the vendor. "I'll take these, please."

"Sent you home?" Ino sounded worried. "But it's barely noon!! Are you okay?"

I handed the vendor my money. "I had a fainting spell, that's all."

"A fainting spell?!" Ino dropped the carrot unceremoniously back onto the stand. She grabbed my shoulders and spun me around to face her. "Sakura, that's no small thing!! Why are you even out here?! Go home and lie down!!"

"I'm not stupid," I said evenly, pulling myself out of her grasp. "But I need to eat something and my refrigerator's empty."

Ino said nothing to that for a moment. I took that opportunity to move on out of the market. I didn't get very far, though as I felt a hand grab my arm.

"Hang on," said Ino hotly. "Don't just walk away from someone talking to you!! That's rude!!"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever."

"C'mon." She tugged on my arm. "You're hungry, so am I. We're gonna grab something to eat together."

"Uh—"

"And don't even _think_ about refusing!!" Without waiting for a response she dragged me off.

I sighed heavily, but I couldn't hide my smile. Even with our rivalry, we were still longtime friends. I was glad for the reminder.

---

Ino ended up taking me to lunch and then dragged me to her house to have supper with her family. I still had shopping to do, but once Ino's mom heard my refrigerator was empty (not by me, Ino blabbed it) she insisted on dumping out _her _refrigerator and giving it to me.

It saved me money, but it was a little annoying.

I got home all right and went straight to bed. I swore up and down to go and see my team in top shape.

But I didn't.

Over the next few days, no matter how early I went to bed or how much I ate, I either slept through the alarm or forgot to set it. And even then, I was sluggish and felt sick.

Kakashi told me not to show up if I wasn't in top shape. But did I listen? No.

If it annoyed him, he didn't say anything. No matter what his threats were, he still put me to spar against either Naruto or Sai. And every time, something on my behalf halted the training. I didn't pass out, but I had to leave to go to the bathroom or to throw up. Naruto and Sai didn't seem worried though; mostly annoyed with me.

Then it happened. One morning about a week later I heard this soft beeping over my head. It was my alarm clock. It finally woke me up!!

Convinced I had finally rid myself of this cold or whatever it was, I got ready and headed out.

I had a feeling it was going to be a good day. As I joined Naruto and Sai, I reveled in the fact that I had beaten Kakashi there. Sensei's tardiness always use to annoy me, but I beat him this time!!

Of course, we had to sit around for an hour to wait for him.

"Good morning," he greeted us when he finally did show up. Naruto and Sai were a little miffed, but I was feeling too good to be angry. "Ah, and you got up on time, Sakura. I trust you're feeling better now?"

"Much better!!" I said confidently. My stomach gave a lurch in reply, but I ignored it.

"All right. Then let's go."

I could've sworn I was feeling better. I certainly felt better than I had in a while. I felt confident enough to go through a round of training.

It was a short round.

I powered up my chakra and rushed at Kakashi. Even as I was running at him, I knew something was wrong. My chakra supply should've been pretty high at the start of the day, but that small power up felt no different than it did in the midst of an exhaustive battle. The last thing I remembered before passing out was seeing Kakashi dodging my attack.

And just as quickly, he had me awake minutes later.

Sai thought this was all very funny and Naruto was worried out of his mind. But I wasn't paying attention to them. Someone else was there with us. Once my vision cleared and I got a clear look at them, ice shot through my veins.

"Was this what you were talking about, Kakashi?" asked Tsunade shortly. She was glaring at me. That wasn't good.

"Yeah," said Kakashi. He helped me to my feet. "This has been going on for a while. What do you think, Hokage-sama?"

"I'm not sure." She looked at Sai and Naruto. "Go away. I need to talk to Sakura alone."

They quickly complied, not wanting to incite her wrath. My mind still hadn't wrapped around the fact that Tsunade was here to see me when she got nose to nose with me. "All right, Sakura. Kakashi tells me you've become extremely sloppy in your training and it's affecting your team. What do you make of this?"

"I'm sorry," I said lamely, bowing my head. "I just haven't been feeling good lately, that's all."

"Sakura, maybe it's time you—"

"No, I'm really all right!! I honestly don't feel good physically!!"

Tsunade folded her arms and looked at Kakashi over my head. "Tell me exactly what's wrong with her."

"I'm right here!!" I growled, forgetting I was talking to my Hokage this way.

"She's past out a few times from meager activities," said Kakashi. "She's looked feverish a few times. And she's taken numerous bathroom breaks every day."

She looked at me. "And why are you?"

"To use the bathroom!!" I didn't know when my humiliation would end. Passing out in front of my team, now openly discussing my bathroom breaks. Could things get any worse?! "I have to use the bathroom like any other normal person!! And I feel nauseas sometimes!!"

Tsunade started at this. "Nausea?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Like I said, it's just a cold. I've been eating pretty heavy lately anyways—"

Tsunade grabbed my wrist in a tight grip. "For how long?"

"I-I don't know!!"

"I'm taking her somewhere," she told Kakashi. "I'll send for you when we're done."

"As you wish," said Kakashi.

"W-Wait a minute!!" I cried. But there was no stopping Tsunade. She dragged me away from the training grounds and into the heart of the city. No amount of tugging relinquished her hold.

After a little while, I realized we were heading for the hospital. Anger overcame me quickly. "I told you I'm doing all right!!"

"Just shut up and follow me!!" she snapped over her shoulder.

As if I had any choice otherwise.

We watched straight through the front doors. The nurses seemed shocked to see their Hokage dragging a seething teenager into the front lobby. Tsunade sat me down in a seat and approached the front counter. She said a few things to the nurse there, but I couldn't hear anything they were saying. I craned my neck to see what they were doing. The nurse handed her something, but I couldn't see what it was; Tsunade shoved it up her sleeve quickly.

And just as quickly she pulled me back up to my feet and pulled me down a hallway. I wasn't struggling anymore; I was a little interested in what she had.

Finally, we stopped in front of a door. I noticed right away it was a bathroom door. Tsunade had her back to me, but it heard paper tearing and she seemed to be struggling with something.

"Tsunade-sensei, what—" I began.

She turned around quickly to face me. Just as quickly she pulled open the door.

"Do this and tell me the results," she said curtly, shoving a stick into my hands and then shoving me into the bathroom.

I didn't understand what the hell was going on. Do what and tell her what results?

But as I got a closer look at the stick, I felt sick all over again. Having worked in the hospital, I'd seen this one too many times.

A pregnancy test.


	3. Part 2

Part 2

"_Do this and tell me the results."_

Yeah, easy for her to say.

But I did it. I tested out the pregnancy test. Then I seated myself on the floor, drew my knees up, and stared at it where it laid face-down on the floor.

I couldn't understand Tsunade. A cold and maybe even depression could easily explain how sick I was. But a _pregnancy_? Where did she even get that idea in the first place?

_I'm a virgin anyways, _I thought. _So she's gonna look real stupid when she sees this is negative._

That thought made me feel uneasy for some reason and I didn't know why. As far as I knew, I was a virgin. My training sucked up all my time and I hadn't really had time to get into any real relationships. Even that one date I went one with Naruto wasn't really a big thing.

I had absolutely nothing to worry about.

I glanced at my watch again and then at the pregnancy test. It took about a minute for results to appear, but five minutes had passed since I did the test. Every time I reached for it, something in me made me stop. I was almost afraid to see the results.

_Get a hold of yourself, Sakura, _I ordered myself. _You know you're a virgin!! What do you have to worry about?_

I nodded and picked up the pregnancy test. But I still hesitated a little as I flipped it over.

A big blue dot greeted me.

A stared stunned at it for several minutes. I'd been expecting a few things; a plus/minus sign, a yes/no, but not a blue dot.

What the fuck did a blue dot mean?!

"Sakura, did you do it?" demanded Tsunade through the door.

"Yeah," I said, still looking at the stick disbelievingly.

"Well, what does it say?"

"Nothing." Who had the brilliant idea to use a blue dot?

"Nothing?! You _do _know what that is, don't you?!"

"Yeah!! And I'm telling you there's nothing here!! Nothing but a blue dot!!"

There was silence on the other side of the door. I looked up from the stick to look at the door. Did she leave? "Tsunade-sensei?"

The door flew open with a bang and smacked against the wall. Tsunade stormed into the bathroom with a stony expression on her face. She grabbed the pregnancy test from me and looked at it closely. She held up the pregnancy test box and glared at both. Then she glared at me.

"Tsu—" I began.

"Let's go," she said. She dropped both the test and its box on the floor and pulled me to my feet. As she pulled me out of the bathroom I snuck a glance at the box. I couldn't read the small print on it, but my options for the test were either a blue dot or a red dot.

I started feeling _very _uneasy. Even more so when Tsunade pulled me into an examination room. She told me to put on a paper gown and ran to fetch a doctor.

I did what I was told and sat myself down on the table. A knot formed in my throat as I sat there in the silence. What did this all mean? Was I pregnant?

But that wasn't possible. I was so sure I was a virgin!! I couldn't even remember _when_ I might've done this!!

Even as I thought this, my hands reached down and smoothed over my stomach. To my dismay, I noticed that my normally flat stomach was very round. But this could easily be explained; I'd been eating a lot lately and hadn't been paying attention to my training. My body _would've _gone away with itself for such reasons.

Tsunade returned with an overly cheerful doctor. He couldn't stop smiling, even as he asked me what my symptoms were. I listed them all off to him, trying to make it them seem like not such a big deal. Unfortunately Tsunade filled in the gaps I left in my story, going in even more detail about my conditions.

"She tested positive on the pregnancy test," she added. "So I want to make sure this isn't a one-in-a-million false positive."

I dropped my jaw and glared at her. Positive? I test positive? And she didn't tell me?!

The doctor didn't seem fazed by my anger and went through the formal test. He took a sample of my blood.

"Now I have to check the human chorionic gonadotropin levels in her blood," he said to Tsunade. "This could take about a day—"

Tsunade glared murderously at him.

"But I'll have the results back within the hour," he squeaked. He ran from the room.

Tsunade took a seat and started flipping through a magazine.

"So…my test was positive?" I asked her.

"Yes," she said without looking up.

"And when were you planning on telling me this?"

"The chances for false-positives can be high in home pregnancy tests. I didn't want to scare you if it turns out you're not pregnant."

"And I'm _not_," I said hotly. "I'm still a virgin, you know!! You're gonna look real foolish, Tsunade-sensei!!"

Tsunade sighed softly. "I sure hope so, Sakura."

That startled me. I was starting to convince myself that she was playing a prank on me. But there's no explaining how she's hoping my results are negative.

True to his word, the doctor came back with my results an hour later. He wore his usual smile, but his words left a chill over the room.

"Congratulations. You're pregnant."

I went numb all over. I couldn't even muster up a reply at first.

Tsunade did, though. "Are you absolutely sure about this? I know I rushed you—"

"I'm sure. Her hCG levels are higher than normal. That means she's either taking hormone pills—which I doubt—or she's pregnant."

"But—" my brain finally functioned long enough to force out words. "But I can't be pregnant!! I'm a virgin!!"

"Sakura-san, all the symptoms you listed for me are all classic signs of early pregnancy," said the doctor lightly.

"I'm a _virgin_," I repeated, my voice rising in volume. "I've never had sex with anyone!! How can I be pregnant?!?!"

"Well…" for the first time he looked uncomfortable. "Virgin pregnancies _are _possible, but they're extremely rare. They generally happen if a vagina has contact with sperm outside of intercourse, or if artificial insemination occurs—"

"Which _none _has happened to me!!" I shrieked. I glared at him and Tsunade. "The joke's gone on long enough!! I'm not pregnant!!!"

"Sakura," said Tsunade. "I would never joke with you about something like this. You're still young, after all."

"According to your hCG levels, you're almost three months along," said the doctor. "It's very difficult for a test to be wrong at such a stage."

Hope filled me when I heard those words. I jumped off the table. "HA!!!! I caught you in your lie!!!"

"Huh?" both Tsunade and the doctor stared stunned at me.

"Three months ago, I was on a mission with my team in the Land of Waves!!! We fought a bunch of rogues harassing a small village, remember? _You_ sent us on that mission so we could get our minds off our problems here!!! If I really am pregnant, how could that have happened during constant fighting?!?!"

Tsunade stared at me in silence for a long moment. I totally felt like gloating for catching her. I also felt like hitting her, but I knew better than to do that.

"I'll be right back," she said. She left the room quickly, leaving me alone with the doctor. But he saw the look I was giving him and quickly departed.

I started getting a little angry, though. I already called her bluff, why was she insisting on playing up this act?

A few minutes later she returned. "Come on, get dressed. We're going to my office."

"Huh?"

"I asked Shizune to bring the rest of your team to meet us there. Hopefully they'll be able to answer some questions."

I did what I was told and we went to her office. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sai were there waiting for us along with Shizune. All three of them gave me confused looks as I was pushed front and center as Tsunade took her seat behind the desk.

"I'll be brief," she said. "Sakura's three months pregnant."

"EH?!?!?!" shrieked Naruto, his eyes bulging in shock. "REALLY?!?!"

"That explains a few things," muttered Sai. I was really starting to hate him.

Kakashi said nothing to this, but he did look shocked by this news.

"She claims three months ago she was out on a mission with all three of you. But she vehemently denies being pregnant. Do any of you recall someone assaulting her? Or did any of you sleep with her and she's just not telling the truth?"

"Tsunade-sensei!!" I screamed, clamping my hands over my ears. I couldn't believe this. They weren't ever going to look at me the same again!!

For their part, they seemed stunned by her accusations. Kakashi stepped forward. "Hokage-sama, no one assaulted her. You would've been the first to know about it. Furthermore, I would never do such a thing with one of my students. And I can vouch for Naruto and Sai that they would never do this."

"Absolutely!!" said Naruto frantically. "I-I mean, I like Sakura-chan and everything, but I wouldn't do that to her!!"

"I don't like ugly people," said Sai simply.

Tsunade nodded. "All right, I trust none of you slept with her. But something happened on that mission no one's talking about or we're not even aware of. Shizune." Shizune handed her a folder. "I've looked over the mission report you made, Kakashi, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Therefore, I want all of you to gather your personal notes you made of the mission and bring them back here immediately."

"Personal notes?" asked Naruto, scratching his head.

"Yes," said Tsunade impatiently. "All ninja are encouraged to keep a private log of their experiences on a mission per day. Don't you know this, Naruto?"

Naruto looked clueless, of course. Tsunade sighed heavily. "I shouldn't have asked. Well, the rest of you go and get your logs. I want to get to the bottom of this before the day is over."

No one looked or talked to me as we ran to get our logs. My body was moving on automatic as I ran home. I was sorely tempted to just barricade myself in my house and never come out. But I knew Tsunade would never allow it.

I just didn't know how to respond to the situation. Pregnant? And she even accused my team of taking advantage of me. Then again, I still claim I'm a virgin and I don't remember sleeping with anyone. I guess anyone would be suspicious.

I found my log for the mission in no time and quickly headed back to Tsunade's office. I was terrified, though; I don't remember what I wrote and I didn't want to check.

But I guess it was time to face the music.

I was the last to arrive though, but Tsunade wouldn't take my log. I realized with horror she was going to make us read them out loud.

Kakashi went first. His logs were extremely brief but well detailed. Even simple words brought me back to the mission. It wasn't exactly a pleasant mission, but it got me out of Konoha and helped me clear my head.

Now I wasn't so sure I should've gone on it.

"'Hasimoto escaped, couldn't find him after five hours of searching,'" read Kakashi in a monotone voice. He flipped the page. "'Day 13: woozy head, tea tasted funny—"

"Hold it!!" interrupted Tsunade. "What tea?"

Kakashi shrugged. "The house we stayed at had an elderly woman who made us a cup of tea before we went to bed each night. I guess the tea tasted different this particular day."

"Sai," she said. "Read your day 13 log."

"All right," he said, flipping open his log. "'Day 13: We wanted to stay in bed, but Kakashi-sensei wouldn't let us. I felt like I had the largest hangover in the world. It took us a half-hour to get Naruto's ass out of bed. I think the old hag put something in our tea—'"

Tsunade jumped to her feet. "You were drugged!!!"

Sai shrugged. "I dunno about that. I just wrote that probably out of anger for how I felt that morning. We'd spent the whole day before looking for that guy and didn't find him. I think she said the tea would help us sleep—did she say that?"

"Yes," said Kakashi, his eye narrowed.

"Sakura, read yours," she demanded.

I was trembling now, but I flipped open my log. "'Day 13: still sore from yesterday's fight. Don't remember going to sleep. Had a weird dream—'"

Tsunade stopped me. "Weird dream?!"

I turned red. I wasn't about to tell her THAT dream. I didn't remember it fully, but it wasn't something I wanted to talk about out loud. "I don't remember."

"Yes, you do Sakura. Now tell me what it was about."

"I'm telling you I—"

"Sakura, this might be key in explaining why you're pregnant!! Now tell me about this dream!!"

"I—" I glanced at the boys. "Can they leave?"

"Sure. All of you wait outside. And if I catch you eavesdropping there will be hell to pay!!"

My team was kicked out of the office, leaving only Tsunade, Shizune, and me. "All right, now tell me about this dream."

"It…" I faltered. Even without the boys there this was still extremely embarrassing. "I…I think…I get up out of bed and go outside. When I do, Sasuke-kun's waiting for me. He…" I trailed off, not wanting to say anymore.

Luckily, Tsunade understands it and doesn't press me. However, she still calls my team back in and I realize with dread they were going to be told about my dream, anyways.

"What can you tell me about…Hajimaro?" she asked Kakashi.

"Hasimoto?" corrected Kakashi. "He was the leader of those rogues we took care of. However, he was the only one we weren't able to capture."

"Was he able to perform ninjutsu?"

"Yes. He claimed he was a Missing-nin from Kumogakure, but we weren't able to confirm this."

Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "I see…"

"What does this mean?" asked Naruto.

"We do know that Sakura is pregnant and that the conseption most likely happened during this mission. Based upon your logs, it seems like the very night you captured all those rogues except for Hasimoto, you were all drugged. According to Sakura, she was drugged a little differently than the rest of you and was lured outside. It was there she was assaulted."

"But I told you it was a dream!!!" I cried out, shaking my head furiously.

"Sakura, don't you think it's suspicious that you had such an obscure dream the same night your entire team was drugged?"

"But I—"

"So," said Kakashi gravely. "You're saying Hasimoto came back and raped Sakura?"

"It's not—" I said.

"I can't confirm anything," said Tsunade. "It might not even be him. That's not who Sakura saw, anyways."

"Yes, it was Sasuke-kun!! That's how I know it was a dream!! Sasuke-kun wouldn't just appear there!! And how would Hasimoto _know _to use the Henge no Jutsu to duplicate Sasuke-kun?!?!"

"I never said it had to be him," said Tsunade. "But as you said, it's not logical for Sasuke to just appear and assault you. It's more likely some other ninja heard about the Missing-nin Uchiha, knew his former team was in the area, and replicated him."

"But it's…" I couldn't say anything more. I looked at everyone around me, but no one would look me right in the eye. No one except Tsunade.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," she said. "But you _are_ pregnant and there's irrefutable evidence showing for this particular night all of you were drugged."

I raised my hands to my face and took a few steps back. She really meant it. I was pregnant. And since I was drugged, that meant…

I didn't want to deal with this.

"Sakura!!" I darted for the door and before anyone could stop me I was racing from the building.


	4. Part 3

Part 3

I slammed the doors open and flew outside. I don't think I'd ever run so fast in my life. It probably wasn't wise to do so in my condition, but I didn't care.

My condition…I was pregnant!!! Pregnant, pregnant, pregnant!!! And not just pregnant; someone raped me!!!

I squeezed my eyes shut and ducked my head as I continued running. This was worse than anything I could've imagined. A pregnancy…I was only a teenager!! I didn't want a baby!! I had enough shit on my plate to cope with, a baby only added to it!!!

I was running very fast and I wasn't looking where I was going. So when I ran into someone it hurt a _lot_. I stumbled violently and nearly fell, but someone caught me and we both fell hard. We skidded a couple of feet across the dirt until we came to a stop.

I shook my head to clear it and quickly sat up. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!! Are you all right?!"

"I am fine. Are you all right, Sakura-san?"

"Lee-san!!" I blinked several times at Rock Lee. He was covered in dirt and looked a little bruised, but _he_ was the one who looked most concerned. "I'm sorry!!"

Lee shook his head. "Do not be sorry, Sakura-san. But you were running very fast. Are you feeling all right?"

All at once it hit me. I couldn't stop the tears from spilling out of my eyes. I pressed my face into my hands and started crying.

"Ah!! Please do not cry!!" Lee was starting to panic, waving his arms around. He probably didn't have much practice comforting a sobbing girl. "I did not mean to make you cry!!"

"It's not you!!" I choked out, pressing the heels of my hands hard against my eyes. "It's me!! I'm pregnant!!!"

He sat in silence with me for several minutes as I cried my heart out. Obviously he was at a loss what to say, but I needed some comfort, _any _comfort!!

"I…see," he said finally. There was a lot of hurt in his voice. "So…Naruto-san and you…" he trailed off.

"No!!!" I cried, finally looking up at him through my tears. "Naruto's not the father!! I don't know who the father is!!!!"

His jaw dropped and he stared stunned at me. "You…do not know? At all?" he sounded guilty.

"No!!" I scrubbed my cheeks feebly. "It happened on a mission some time back!! Someone drugged my team and came to see me as Sasuke-kun." I sniffed. "Tsunade-sensei kept insisting that I was raped and…I don't know what to do!!!!"

Lee reached into his pouch and produced a handkerchief. He handed it to me. "Here. I am sorry this has happened to you, Sakura-san."

"Not as sorry as I am." I took the handkerchief and wiped at my eyes. It did very little to stop the tears that continued to spill out. "I don't what to do…"

Lee was silent for a long time as I tried to bring myself under control. When he spoke it wasn't something I expected.

"This…will be very dangerous."

"Huh?!" I stopped crying long enough to stare at him stunned.

"There are only two members of the Uchiha clan left," he said. "Itachi-san and Sasuke-san. Even if the ninja who…did this to you was not either one of them, it is a possibly someone else saw what you saw.

"And now you are pregnant. And what if someone _did _see this and they believe the Uchiha clan will have a comeback?"

"So what?!" I demanded.

"What if rumors are spread about this? About there being an Uchiha heir? How will Sasuke-san react to this? Or Itachi-san? Or Orochimaru?"

I saw his point. I don't know what was going on but if _none _of these men had any involvement in my pregnancy and rumors started about the other getting me pregnant…there was going to be a lot of hell.

"And you said you do not know who fathered your baby," said Lee. "That will only fuel the rumors and people will believe you are hiding."

I could see why Tsunade was so desperate to get to the bottom of this. We might have a full-scale war on Konoha from both Sound and the Akatsuki all on the basis of my unborn child's paternity.

What the fuck kind of mess was I in?!?!

"Lee-san, what am I suppose to do?" I asked, feeling tears build up in my eyes again. "I'm having a hard enough time coping with being pregnant. How am I suppose to protect my baby? Hell, _what _am I suppose to do with my baby? I'm not equipped to take care of a child!!"

Lee was silent again for a long while, making it very clear he didn't really have any suggestions for me. Right now I just felt so lost and confused.

Suddenly, Lee grabbed hold of my hands. I looked at him in confusion; his eyes were bright with determination, but his face was flushed.

"Sakura-san," he said softly. "Have about I say _I_ am the father?!"

I felt my jaw drop. "What?!"

"Think about it!! We are close friends anyways and whenever I end up in the hospital you always visit me and bring me flowers."

"Yeah, but—"

"I have no ninjutsu and genjutsu; only my taijutsu. Who will care if _I _fathered a child?"

"Lee-san…" his suggestion was very outrageous and I knew no one would believe it. "This isn't just some simple cover-up. This is my baby we're talking about—"

"I understand," said Lee. "But I swore to you I would protect you with my life. And now I swear I will protect the life of this child from _anyone _who would do him harm."

His conviction touched me, but I wasn't entirely convinced it could be pulled off. I also had a feeling Tsunade wouldn't approve of it.

But still… "Would you really do that? Say my baby is yours in order to protect us?"

Lee nodded his head vigorously. "You do not have to worry!! While I am here _nothing_ will happen to the two of you!!!"

I knew I needed more time to think about this. I still needed to cope with the fact that I was pregnant and mulling over whether or not Lee should pretend to be my lover wasn't something I looked forward to.

_You might not have time to think it over for a few days!!_ a voice told me. _As far as you know, those dangerous rumors might be running rampant all over the land!! The Akatsuki and Sound might attack any minute to see who fathered your baby!!_

I realized I was being selfish. Sure, it was easy for me to say I needed to think about something, but if my baby and Konoha were in potential danger _they _certainly wouldn't have enough time to wait for me to think things over!!

"…All right," I said finally. "I'll agree to this. But only until we find out who really did do this to me."

Tears started spilling out of Lee's eyes. He grabbed me in a tight hug. "Thank you for trusting me, Sakura-san!! I promise I will protect both you and your baby!!"

I sighed heavily, but returned his hug. "I know you will, Lee-san."

"Oh my God, that's so very touching!!!" sobbed a voice above us.

I shoved Lee off me and looked up. To my horror Might Gai was sitting on a tree branch, sobbing hysterically. I had little doubts he saw everything that happened between us.

"Lee," he sobbed, scrubbing at his face. "This is a true testament of your manhood!! Helping out a poor girl in need!!"

Tears spilled out of Lee's eyes and he saluted Gai. "I am thankful I was able to make you proud, Gai-sensei!!!"

As usual, their antics annoyed me. Even more so knowing Gai sat there and watched us talk over something that was obviously private.

Something tapped me on my shoulder. "It looks like you're feeling better."

I quickly turned around and glared. "Don't tell me you followed me!!"

"Of course I did," said Kakashi all too cheerfully. "My student was in a state of great distress and she needed someone to talk to. Although Lee here beat me to the punch. But he came up with a rather ingenious plan to keep our enemies off our backs."

"You were listening?!" I snapped, though I quickly followed with, "You think it's a good idea?!"

"Yes," said Kakashi. "Someone obviously did this to you for a reason; none of us know what that reason is. But Lee's right; these rumors will circulate, if they haven't already, and no doubt Sasuke and Itachi will want to check them out."

"Well, Tsunade-sensei won't go along with it."

"We don't know that for sure. Let's all go back to her office and you two can explain this plan to her." He looked up. "Gai!! Pull yourself together!!"

Gai snapped to attention. "I didn't know you were there, Kakashi!! I want you to know I have the perfect strategy in defeating you this time!!"

"Oh really now?" Kakashi climbed to his feet. He walked over to Gai. "Let's see what you've got."

"All right!!!" Gai jumped out of the tree and lunged at Kakashi. He stuck his fist out at him and Kakashi raised his own fist.

"Rock Paper Scissors SHOOT!!!!!"

Gai formed scissors while Kakashi formed a rock.

"AHHHHH!!!!!" Gai clutched his head. "That was a clever strategy, using your Sharingan to see I would be forming scissors!!!"

I burst out laughing at seeing this. We were wasting time and this generally annoyed me, but seeing such idiocy was the kind of pick-me-up I needed at the moment.

"All right, all right," said Kakashi. He walked over and helped me stand up. "Enough of this nonsense. Hokage-sama needs to know about this plan."

The laughter died in my throat as the four of us headed back to her office. Try as I might, I still wasn't entirely confident that Tsunade would approve of this.

---

"I like it," said Tsunade. "That's the best idea I've heard."

I guess I didn't know her too well.

We made it back to the office where Tsunade, Shizune, Naruto, and Sai were still waiting. Tsunade dismissed Naruto and Sai and Kakashi told her that Lee was going to pretend to be my baby's father in order to stave off any potentially dangerous rumors.

"Since this was brought to my attention I can only assume you." She motioned to Kakashi and Gai. "Agree with what your prospective students plan on doing."

Kakashi shrugged. "Until we find out what really happened and why, it's important we keep both Sakura and her baby as safe as possible."

"Yes!!!" roared Gai, striking a pose. "Helping out a lady in need is the true definition of MANLINESS!!!!!"

Silence followed his proclamation until Tsunade coughed. "All right, then we're all agreed. Correct Lee? Sakura?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," said Lee, bowing.

"…Yes," I said reluctantly.

Tsunade waved a hand. "Bring in the boys."

Shizune let Naruto and Sai back into the office.

"Can I go yet?" asked Sai, looking completely bored. "This has nothing to do with me."

"Actually, this has _everything _to do with you," said Tsunade.

"I told you I didn't knock her up."

"Nobody's saying you did. But since you are her teammates it is important that you understand a few things."

"What things?" asked Naruto.

"We don't know who did this to Sakura. But the fact that whoever did looked like Sasuke could be dangerous. The last thing we want to do is make it seem like Uchiha Sasuke got _anyone _pregnant. We'd have both the Akatsuki _and_ Sound knocking on our door!!"

Naruto and Sai said nothing to this.

"So, for the time being, Rock Lee and Sakura are going to pretend to be a couple expecting a child."

"WHAT?!?!" cried Naruto. He stared at Lee and me in disbelief. "Fuzzy Brows is gonna…why him?!"

"He's equipped to protect Sakura and her baby," said Tsunade evenly. "Not too mention his lack of natural skill won't draw much attention as would a potential Uchiha heir."

"But I don't get it!! He's not on the same team as us!! Hell, he doesn't even go on missions with us!! Why couldn't _I_ do it?!" Naruto looked really hurt that we didn't consider him for this decision. It made me feel a little guilty.

"There a LOT of reasons why you couldn't do it," said Tsunade, though her voice was sympathetic. "One: the Akatsuki is already after you. Rumors that you fathered a child to squash rumors that Sasuke did might draw their entire forced here as opposed to just Itachi."

"But—"

"Two: You were gone with Jiraiya for two-and-a-half years. Not many people would believe you'd spontaneously knock up a girl the minute you got back."

"But—"

"Three: As far as everyone's concerned, Sakura and you don't get along. In fact, Sakura's made a point to let everyone know she doesn't like you. Why would she suddenly become pregnant with your child?"

"But—"

"And lastly: look at your own situation. The people of Konoha might not be inclined to protect any child you have at this current time."

Naruto glared at Tsunade, but said nothing else. No doubt his words hit home and I still felt bad it had to come out that way.

"So that's how it stands," said Tsunade. "Everything that has transpired today is NOT to leave this room. Once you leave today, go about this as if Rock Lee were the baby's father. I'm giving you all a direct order not to tell ANYONE about this, not even your friends." She glared around the room. "And if I find out that some of you DID talk, there will a couple of people here missing _their_ ability to procreate. Understand?!"

"Yes, ma'am," we chorused back to her.

It seemed like I was walking in a trance once we left the office. Naruto stormed off without saying anything else to me. Sai took off on his own but he refrained from saying anything else mean to me.

Kakashi, Gai, and Lee flanked around me like they were my bodyguards as we headed out of the building. We got a few confused stares, but I refused to look at anyone. I didn't feel like talking much, either.

However, Kakashi wanted to talk to me anyways. "I think it'll be wise for Lee to live with you for a while. It'll be more believable if he is."

"I agree," said Gai. "Just as long as they sleep in separate rooms."

"I will do it if Sakura-san agrees, too," said Lee, glancing.

I gave a half-hearted shrug of my shoulders. "Do what you want, I don't care."

Lee nodded quickly. "I will go gather some of my things. I will be by your house later on tonight so no one will see me move in."

I simply nodded, not bothering to watch him leave. Gai took this as a note to leave as well, but Kakashi wouldn't leave my side. He escorted me home, keeping his eye on me the whole time. I continued to keep my head down, not wanting to look at anyone as we headed home.

Kakashi didn't leave me alone once we reached my house. He followed me inside and then forced me to sit down at the table.

"I don't think you've eaten anything all day," he said, opening up the refrigerator. "And since you don't like spicy foods I don't trust Lee to cook for you." He fiddled around until he pulled something out. "Do you still like umeboshi?"

"Yeah." I mumbled into my hand.

"I'll make you some onigiri, then."

Kakashi ended up making me six onigiri; all of them stuff with umeboshi. Then he watched me to make sure I ate all of them. He didn't need to worry though; I ended up polishing them off quickly.

"I'm gonna head home now," he announced once I was done. "Is there anything you need before I go?"

I shook my head. "I'll be all right, Kakashi-sensei."

He nodded and started to head towards the door. But he stopped and walked back over to me.

"This is my fault this happened to you," he said softly, hesitantly putting a hand on my shoulder. "So I will do anything in my power to help you."

"Kakashi-sensei, it's not—" I began.

"As your sensei I should've looked out for you. I didn't and this happened. I want you to know you can count on me for anything. Do you understand?"

I reluctantly nodded. "Yessir."

"Good." He let me go. "I'll be by in the morning to check on Lee and you. Get plenty of rest tonight."

As I saw him off I realized I was still hungry. And I had a feeling Lee would be hungry once he arrived. So I set about making a large yet simple dinner. It took me a while to figure out what to make, but then I settled on curry. I had accidentally bought a box of the spicy stuff, but now it looks like it had some use. Since Lee had a penchant for anything and I loathed spicy foods, I ended up making two separate curry dishes to suit our tastes; mild for me and spicy for him.

_I might as well get use to this for a while_, I told myself, feeling exhausted from hopping from dish to dish.

Lee arrived much later, but I waited up for him and kept our curry warm on the stove. He only brought a sack full of clothes with him, but then again it wouldn't have made much sense for him to empty out his house.

While he was polite to me as he'd always been, our meal together was mostly in silence. I had eaten dinner with Lee before, but for the most part it had been with his team or my team or the other teams our ages. But now we sat there in my house for all purposes living together to create the façade we were a couple.

He was still kind to me though, and insisted on cleaning up while I relaxed.

Soon it was time for bed and I led him upstairs. I felt nervous being upstairs alone with a boy, but I didn't have any intentions of sharing my room with him.

"You can use my parent's room, Lee-san," I said, pointing down the hall. "I'm afraid I haven't been in there for a while, but I'm pretty sure it's clean."

Lee nodded. "Thank you, Sakura-san."

"I should be thanking you for helping me out so much."

Lee struck a 'nice guy' pose. "You do not have to worry, Sakura-san!! I swear to protect both you and your baby from any danger!!"

"I believe you," I laughed, pushing him down the hall. "Now get to bed!!"

"Right! Goodnight!!"

"Goodnight." The words came out very quietly. A turned and walked towards my bedroom before he opened the door to my parent's room. I tried to keep my head as clear as possible as I got ready for bed.

I wasn't successful, of course. As I pulled my pajamas on I was reminded of this morning. Of how excited I was that I finally woke up on time. I had been so sure I was going to have a good day.

How wrong I was.

I climbed into bed and stretched out on my back. I stared up at the ceiling and my hands smoothed over my stomach. Because I was laying down my stomach flattened slightly, but it was still round. I could get away with hiding my pregnancy for the time being but in a few months, maybe weeks, I was really going to show.

"This is quite a mess I've been trapped in," I murmured to myself. I looked down at my folded hands over my stomach. "I'm still confused about all this. But Tsunade seems hell-bent on solving this mystery, so I'm definitely keeping this baby."

Not that getting rid of her ever entered my mind. She didn't ask to be put in this situation either. The problem was I still didn't know what I was going to do with her. Or with myself, even.

_The problem's solved for right now,_ I thought to myself, turning to curl up on my side. _I believe Tsunade-sensei and Kakashi-sensei will look out for me. And Lee-san will pretend to be her father. I just wish I knew what was going on. Who did this to me? Why did they do it to me?_


	5. Part 4

Part 4

I didn't leave my room for two days. I barely got out of bed and I didn't react to anything going on. Lee seemed to understand my turmoil and didn't bother me much. But he made sure to make me some meals before and after he got home from training.

I knew I wasn't doing much to make him feel welcome in my home, but I didn't care much about anything. I just curled up in a ball and tried very hard not to think about my situation. This got to be impossible when I became ravenously hungry or violently sick.

Finally, I was sick of hanging around my room. On the third day I woke up late, well past the time Lee got up. I'd been wearing the same clothes since I found out I was pregnant and I was well overdue for cleanup.

I got into some loose clothes and left my room to head to the bathroom. But before I went inside I heard noises coming from downstairs. Was it Lee? He usually wasn't here this late in the morning.

Swallowing audibly, I hesitantly walked down the stairs, my back sliding against the wall. The further I went, the more I was able to place the sound; it was coming from the kitchen. And something smelled good.

I relaxed long enough to make it down the stairs. An intruder like Sasuke, Itachi, or Orochimaru wouldn't break in to make a meal, right?

I walked into the kitchen and did a double. While it wasn't any of the aforementioned men, I was still surprised.

"Good morning, Sakura," said Kakashi from the stove. He was in full ninja gear, but he had my strawberry pink apron on. "Have a seat."

I burst out laughing at the sight. The apron was too small on him, barely going past his knees. But it was so…ridiculous seeing it on him with its little strawberries sewn along the hem.

Kakashi looked down at himself and looked back at me. "I'd rather not get my clothes dirty from cooking and this is the only one I found."

"I know, I know," I laughed, taking a seat at the table. "What brings you here, sensei? Lee-san usually makes me breakfast."

"I heard him mention you haven't left your room for a few days," said Kakashi, finishing up at the stove. He grabbed a plate and a few bowls. "So I arrived early and sent him on his way while volunteering to make you breakfast."

"Well…thank you." I was genuinely thankful. Lee tried to make my meals as spicy-free as possible, but they were still hotter than I liked. And it felt good my sensei cared enough to check up on me.

"Here you go." Kakashi placed the now loaded plate and bowl in front of me. It was a traditional Japanese breakfast consisting of rice, miso soup, grilled fish, tamagoyaki, and salad, but it was twice the size I normally ate.

_You're eating for two, Sakura,_ I reminded myself as I dug in. "It's delicious, Kakashi-sensei."

"Thank you." Kakashi started cleaning up, but then stopped. "I almost forgot; I have to give something to you." He turned around and reached into an inner pocket. He pulled out a notice and handed it to me. "Hokage-sama asked me to give this to you."

I took it reluctantly and slowly opened it up. Whatever Tsunade had to say I didn't look forward to it. I was still a little miffed about the way she handled my pregnancy discovery.

_To Haruno Sakura,_

_By the order of the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade, you are hereby put on maternity leave for ALL ninja activity from now until three months after your child is born. You are forbidden from engaging in any and all ninja work and missions, unless otherwise noted by Hokage-sama. You are forbidden from leaving Konoha unless in the company of other ninja. Most importantly, you are forbidden from doing anything that would put your child in immediate harm._

_Violating these orders will be cause for immediate ramifications administered by Hokage-sama as she feels fits._

Sincerely,

Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure

I crumbled the note in my fist. "That's just great!!"

"I don't mean to pry—" began Kakashi.

"I'm on maternity leave!!" I snapped. "And she put all these restrictions on me and practically threatens to kick my ass if I don't comply!!"

"Well…it would be terrible if you miscarried."

"Fine. But how am I suppose to get cash?!"

"I guess you could rely on Lee's income—"

I glared at him.

"Or reply to Hokage-sama's offer." Kakashi pulled out another slip of papers.

"Tsunade-sensei is offering me a job?"

"Yes."

"Doing what?"

"Being her accountant."

I paled. "Isn't that Shizune-san's job?"

"She vacated the position," said Kakashi cheerfully. "So, what do you say?"

I shoved the note away. "Thank you, but I'll find another way to make money."

"That's the spirit!! You could be _my _accountant if you wish—"

"No thank you," I said forcefully.

"All right," Kakashi conceded. He straightened. "I've kept the boys waiting long enough. I'll be going now."

"All right." I dug back into my meal. "Thank you for making me breakfast."

"Don't mention it. Just be sure to take care of yourself."

I merely grunted in reply as he took his leave. Alone again I put down the chopsticks and touched my stomach again. It still felt weird being an expectant mother. Lying around for two days didn't do much to dispell my fears.

"We're in a right mess, the both of us," I said, staring up at the ceiling. "Let's just hope everything works out."

---

I knew finding a job that didn't require ninja work wasn't going to be easy. I never expected I'd be put in this position. But I was and there was nothing I could do but just go with it.

I noticed something was different as I started away from my house. Various people who passed me stared right at me when I passed them. They continued to watch me even as I walked further away from them.

I heard the hushed whispers and the snrots, but I tried not to let it bother me. It was too soon for me to be completely showing…right? I looked down at myself, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

So what was so interesting anyways?

I found my first stop right away; Ino's flower shop. It wasn't a weekend and I figured Ino wouldn't be there working. It'd be a little easier to ask her mother for a job, as long as she didn't freak out on me.

"Welco—oh Sakura!!"

It was Ino.

"H-Hello," I said, forcing a smile. "Still no training?"

Ino shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I could say the same for you. You're not even in your gear today!!"

I shook my head as I moved further into the shop. A lump was forming quickly in my throat. I tried to distract myself with a display of daisies. "I decided to take some time off from my training."

"Oh. I see…" Ino sounded very shocked and a little uncomfortable. She probably thought it had to do with my previous depression.

She changed the subject, though not for the better. "I heard a rumor!!"

"Is that so?" I fiddled with a flower.

"That's right!! Word around Konoha is that you've been awfully friendly with Lee-san lately!! I heard he's even living at your house!!!"

I clenched the flower in my fist and bit my lip. Ino was a loudmouth and horrible at keeping secrets, but she was still my friend. If anything, I really wanted to tell her the truth.

"_I'm giving you all a direct order not to tell ANYONE about this, not even your friends."_

I hated Tsunade, sometimes.

"Well…" I said finally. "It's all true."

Ino gasped loudly behind me. "You mean—you—oh my God!! You're in a relationship with _Lee-san_?!"

"Well, we're expecting a child, so—"

"Wh-Wh-WHAT?!?! A BABY?!?!" Ino grabbed my shoulders and turned me around. "You're pregnant?!?!"

"Three months along," I said stiffly, not looking her in the eyes.

"And Lee-san's the father?"

I couldn't say yes; I just forced my head to nod.

"Oh, Sakura this is wonderful news!!" Ino pulled me into a tight hug. "A bouncing baby!!"

"It's not a planned pregnancy," I almost snapped. "But I'm keeping her."

"That's even better news!!" Ino let me go and brushed some hair out of my face. "I hope he looks like you, Lee-san's not that good looking—if you don't mind my saying so."

"I'm sure she will." _I HOPE she will. I don't want her looking like her father…whoever THAT is…_

"Here, let me get together a bouquet of flowers for you, on the house!!" Ino ran over to a fresh stand of flowers.

"Actually…" I fidgeted. "I'm here because I need a job."

Ino stopped and turned to look at me. "A job?"

"I'm on maternity leave. For the next…oh, I don't know, ten months, I'm not allowed to do ninja work."

"But doesn't Lee-san bring in enough income?"

"I'm not going to rely on his income only," I said firmly. "I have to take some responsibility too. So…are there any openings here?"

Ino thought about it and shrugged. "You know, Mom _was_ complaining about needing some time off. And it sucks when I have to run the shop by myself—"

"Oh, thank you!!!" I cried, throwing my arms around her. "Thank you so much!!"

"I'll have to talk to Mom about it, but I doubt she'll deny a pregnant girl a job. Especially since it's you, Sakura."

I let her go and grabbed her hands. "I'm ready to start anytime!!"

"All right. But first…" An evil glint came to Ino's eye. "Let's go celebrate your pregnancy!!"

I stared blankly at her. "What, now?"

"Yes, now!! I'll just close the shop early!! Mom won't notice!!"

I rubbed my forehead. "I sure hope so. I don't wanna hurt my chances of getting a job…"

---

Ino kept me out for six hours. I don't know how she could afford it, but she took me to various restaurants, shoving food down my throat. I ate it all, but that's besides the point.

"This is still so surprising," said Ino around a mouthful of ramen. "Out of all us girls, I didn't expect you to get pregnant first!!"

I ate my ramen quietly.

"And…Lee-san as a daddy is surprising too. I mean, the two of you get along pretty well. But…it almost seemed like Sasuke-kun and you would be together."

I swallowed a huge mouthful.

"I know this isn't something I would usually say; I wouldn't mind hogging Sasuke-kun to myself. But…you two seemed like a pretty big possibility."

I pushed aside my empty bowl. "Can I have a beef jumbo bowl?"

Then we looked at baby clothes.

"Aww, doesn't THIS look cute?!?!" she cried, pulling a skivvy covered with Konoha's symbol off a rack.

"Hn," I said, shifting through a bloomer's set.

"It'd be nice if we could pick out some clothes now!! Do you know if it's a boy or girl?"

"No." I held up a kimono layette covered with cherry blossoms.

"Then how come you're only looking at girl's clothes?"

"Just a thought." I put down the layette. "Let's get going. People are staring at us." Indeed, the entire store _was_ staring at us. Even though I was the pregnant one, neither of us looked it.

"…Yeah, let's get going."

Finally, it ended and I was able to go home. While I appreciated her spoiling me, I'm definitely sure her mother notice the flower was closed for six hours during the day.

Lee still wasn't home when I got back so I decided to make dinner. Much to my own annoyance I found various hot spices in my fridge. Some were mildly hot, others were volcanic.

"Looks like I won't be hiding again," I mumbled to myself. I grabbed one of the hotter bottles and some other stuff and made some okonomiyaki. I poured half the bottle on Lee's, silently hoping he'd swear off hot food for this.

I was wrong.

"Sakura-san, this is the best okonomiyaki I have ever had!!" he cried, shoving mouthfuls into his mouth. I couldn't help but gape at him.

"So…how was your day?" I asked, poking at my own okonomiyaki.

"It was great!! Gai-sensei taught us a few new moves!! I even did better than Neji-san!!!"

"…Do your teammates know about this?"

Lee stopped eating and thought about it. "I do not really know. I have not said anything to them and I do not know if Gai-sensei told them about it. Have you told anyone, Sakura-san?"

"I told Ino about it. I'm hopefully going to be working in her flower shop for a while."

Lee perked up at this. "But Sakura-san, you should take care of yourself!! Maybe you should—"

"I'll be all right, Lee-san. Working in a flower shop shouldn't be as hard as working out in the field. Besides, I want to bring in money for my child."

Lee nodded to this. "I understand. But I would be more than willing to assist you—"

"I understand and I appreciate it. But I don't want to rely solely on your salary, Lee-san. You understand, right?"

Lee slowly nodded. "Yes. But please take it easy."

Once we were finished Lee insisted on cleaning up and I went out to the living room to relax. I couldn't believe I still had room to eat dinner after everything Ino fed me, but I did.

_This is what it's gonna be like everyday until I have this baby or until the father comes forward_, I thought, sinking back into the cushions of my couch. I rubbed a hand over my stomach. _Or until Orochimaru and/or Itachi come here looking for answers. But I'm keeping up this façade, even to my closest friend, and so hopefully that won't happen anytime time soon…_

"We can make it, honey," I said out loud, looking down at my stomach. "I know we can."


	6. Part 5

Part 5

"Thank you, come again!!" called Ino. But no sooner did that batch of customers leave than a new batch came in. "Welcome!!"

She hurried over to the counter. "Sakura, this is a busier Sunday than I thought!! Can you help me out on the floor?"

I sighed heavily as I checked someone out. "I'm the one watching the register, Ino. Besides, you're the one who told me not to do any heavy lifting."

"The heaviest vase is like 9 kilograms!!" she grumbled. "Maybe I should call Mom out here…"

"Nah, she just left a message saying she was going to a spa, or something. Have a good day," I said to the customer.

"Oh man!! Well, when you have a minute please help me on the floor!!" Ino ran down one of the isles to help a customer.

I rolled my eyes and motioned for the next customer to step forward.

"How are you doing, Sakura-chan?" asked the lady kindly.

"I'm doing all right," I said. I didn't know her very well but I knew I was subject to a lot of gossip.

She leaned across the counter to get a good look at me. "How far are you along?"

"Five months. That'll be 4,500 yen."

The woman paid for her bouquet but she wouldn't stop talking. "Do you know if it's a boy or girl?"

"No, ma'am. Thank you for your purchase." I didn't want to seem like I was brushing her off, but I didn't want to talk openly about my child either.

"Oh, you really should check into that. Knowing your baby's gender will help in buying baby supplies ahead of time."

"Have a good day," I said stiffly. Truthfully, the gender of my baby wasn't really a high priority for me. I was more interested in who the father was.

But my customer had a hard time taking a hint. She went on and on about babies and about young mothers in general, until the customer behind her gave her a "friendly" reminder she was holding up the line. I was all too glad to see her go.

"Don't let her bother you," said the next woman. "I had my first child when I was seventeen. Only you should decide how to handle your baby's matters."

"Hn." I rang up her purchase quickly as well. Luckily she wasn't as pushy as the previous woman and the customers that followed her made no more mention of my baby.

After about an hour the crowd died down and Ino practically dragged me out from behind the counter to help out on the floor. "My turn on register!!"

_So THAT'S why she wanted me off counter,_ I thought. But I didn't complain about it as I approached a customer. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

The man turned to me and did what I was getting use to; looked me over up and down. "Um…no. I should be all right."

"All right." I turned away and walked down a separate isle. I thought getting stares over my "relationship" with Lee was bad. Five months of pregnancy had me showing big time. It was hard enough I couldn't fit into my usual clothes and had to buy maternity wear. And I was sure rumors of my pregnancy had floated around even before _I _knew. But every time anyone saw me, they looked at me as if they'd never seen me before or had never heard the gossip.

_Just as long as the gossip stays within Konoha, I'll take these stares_.

I checked my watch and approached the counter. "Ino, I hope you remember I have to leave early today."

"WHAT?!" cried Ino. "Why?!"

"I'm getting an examination," I said irritably. I'd told her all week and just that morning!! How could she forget?!

"Is something wrong with your baby?!" she said a little too loudly. A few customers turned to look at us.

"_No_," I said forcefully. "I'm getting a sonogram."

"That's a relief!! You had me worried there for a moment!!"

"Would I come into work if something was wrong?!" I turned away from the counter to help more customers.

"Just let me know if he inherits your big forehead!!"

I wonder if anyone who blame me if I killed her.

The rest of my shift went uneventful, until Lee showed up to take me to my appointment.

"HELLO!!!" he shouted, pushing open the door so suddenly it almost went through the wall. "I am here to pick Sakura-san up!!!"

A few customers giggled, particularly the women.

"Er…thanks, Lee-san," I said, ducking my head. Unfortunately, my embarrassment didn't do much to help the situation.

"Aw, they're so cute!!"

"And she's still so formal with him!!"

"I wish MY husband came to pick me up from work!!"

_He's not my husband!!_ I fumed quietly. _He's not even the father of my baby!!_

I felt guilty after thinking that. Lee was going out of his way to help my child and me without ever asking for anything in return.

I just hoped he didn't expect anything more out of our friendship.

"Fine, whisk her away," said Ino in exasperation. "And if you see my mom anywhere, can you tell her to get back to the shop?!"

Lee saluted her. "I will if I see her!!"

I grabbed his arm and started dragging him out of the shop. "C'mon, let's get going."

I was glad to be out of there, but being on the street was no better. Even if my pregnancy and our "relationship" became public knowledge two months ago, we still got a lot of stares.

I rubbed my forehead with the back of my hand. "I'll just be glad when I have my baby. Then we can fade into obscurity along with all the other expecting mothers…"

"At least you will be able to see what he looks like today," said Lee cheerfully.

"Yeah, I guess so. Then my baby will _really_ be a reality when I see her on the monitor…"

"Why? You do not believe you are pregnant?"

"No, I got fat like this for no reason at all," I said sarcastically. "Of course I believe I'm pregnant. But seeing the baby herself as opposed to feeling her in the womb are two very different things."

"…I see. And with this sononogram you will be able to see his gender?"

"It's _sono_gram, and yes it'll allow the doctor to see if she's a boy or girl."

Lee started clapping his hands. "This is very exciting!!"

_Easy for you to say,_ I grumbled, but I didn't say it out loud.

When we got to the hospital for my appointment, I was surprised to see Tsunade in the examining room along with the doctor who discovered my pregnancy.

"Before you look at your baby," she said. "We want to find out his blood type. As you discovered on your previous visit, the doctor determined your baby and you have matching Rh factors, which explains why you haven't experienced too many problems with your baby."

"I still don't understand how different Rh factors could be bad," I said as I got comfortable on the table.

"Since this is your first pregnancy, no visible changes would occur in different Rh types," said the doctor. "But if this was your second pregnancy and your Rh's didn't match up, then your immune system would see your unborn child as an invader and attack it."

I gulped. "Duly noted."

"But they match up in this case, so there's no cause for alarm. Now…" the doctor held up a folder. "I took a tiny sample on the last visit to see your baby's blood type. And according to the results…" he flipped it open. "You _do_ have matching Rh factors and your baby has type A blood."

Unexpectedly, my body grew cold. "Type…A?"

"Yes," said the doctor. "Since you yourself have type O blood, the A must come from the father's side."

Tsunade took the folder from him and looked at the report. "This is good. This is _very _good."

"Why's that?" I said numbly.

"Because Lee's blood type is A as well. This will definitely throw away any potential rumors for the time being until we can do a proper paternity test. But that's obviously going to have to wait, am I right?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," said the doctor. "While paternity tests _are_ possible with an unborn child, they are extremely risky and it's best to wait until the child is born before administering the test."

I wasn't paying attention to their talk. I was looking down at my stomach, my hands sort of cradling it. Hearing her blood type filled me with a surprising sense of despair.

Well, not surprising. I knew deep down why I was upset.

"Sakura-san," said Lee, carefully putting a hand on my shoulder. "Is something the matter?"

"I…" I didn't know if I could say it out loud. Then again, what did it matter? "Well, finding out her blood type eliminated a few people from the paternity. I-I-I mean, Sasuke-kun has type AB blood. If she were his…the child would share his, right?" I didn't know why Sasuke not being the father of my baby upset me so much. The guy who did it me did it while I was drugged.

"I…wouldn't say that," said the doctor. "AB is the rarest blood type. And O and AB are extremely unique in that O has no antigens and AB has no antibodies. So it's practically impossible for parents with O and AB blood to have an AB child. The A blood type just meant that was the only blood type that was accepted."

His explanation went over my head but I understood one thing; Sasuke was still a possibility for my baby's father. I still didn't know why that made me happy.

"Let's take a look at your baby," said the doctor cheerfully.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"I don't need to see this," said Tsunade, getting up to leave. "But you can tell me later if it's a boy or girl."

She left and Lee and I waited for the doctor to get everything ready. It felt odd having Lee with me when I first see my baby. I knew it was all for appearance sake and he seemed genuinely excited to see her. But…I still didn't feel comfortable.

"Okay, let's take a look," said the doctor. He put a white stick to my belly and moved it around, his eyes fixed on the nearby monitor. "Just a little…aha!! There he is!!!"

It felt like the wind was knocked out of me when I saw my child on the monitor. She looked like she was curled up like a cat, but I couldn't tell if she was awake or asleep. I could see her tiny fingers and her tiny toes. She was whole. She was beautiful. And her forehead didn't look too big.

"My God," I gasped, pressing a hand to my mouth. Tears were spilling out of my eyes.

Lee said nothing, but he was watching the monitor as though hypnotized. It was as if he'd never seen a baby before.

"Let me see here…" the doctor frowned a little and moved the stick around. He squinted at the monitor and continued moving it. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. His behavior was worrying me.

Finally, he leaned back, shaking his head. "I'm sorry; Sakura-san, but I can't determine your baby's gender at the moment."

I fell back against the table in relief. "Is that all?"

"Is that a bad thing?" asked Lee worriedly.

"No," assured the doctor. "I don't normally handle the ultrasounds, but Hokage-sama insists that only I handle Sakura-san's case because I was the first doctor to examine her and thus am the only one who knows the truth about her baby."

"Her gender doesn't matter," I said, hopping off the table. "Just as long as she's not sick or something."

"No, your baby is in good health."

"All right." I reached for my clothes. "If that's all, I want to get going."

"Would you like a photo of your baby? I can print it out right now."

I stopped and turned around. My baby's image was still-framed on the monitor, still curled up like a cat.

"Yeah, print me up a copy."

---

"It is a relief that your baby is doing all right," said Lee slowly, fiddling with his hands. "Although, I am sorry you could not find out his gender right away."

"It's fine," I said, my eyes glued on the photo in my hand. "I didn't agree to the sonogram to find out her gender; I just wanted to make sure she's all right. I can wait until she's born to find out. I'm already waiting that long for the paternity test."

"Hmm…" Lee was silent for a few moments. He probably didn't know what to say, but I could tell he was still reeling from having seen my baby. "Say…do you want to eat out tonight, Sakura-san?"

I stopped walking and glanced at him. "To celebrate the occasion?"

"That, and…Gai-sensei was talking about all of us going to a restaurant to eat. Saying it was sort of congratulation for our progress, and…this baby."

My heart sank. I could deal with going out to dinner with Lee, but I didn't know about his teammates. I only worked with them a few times and I wasn't even friends with them. We were keeping up this lie even to them, I didn't know if I could face them with this.

"Well—" I began.

"Sakura-chan!!!"

I was more than relieved to get this interruption. I shoved the photo into my pocket and turned around. "Hey, Naruto!!"

He was grinning from ear to ear, looking more cheerful than I'd seen him in a few months. "There you are!! I've been looking for you all day!! Ino was a real bitch to me about it, telling me I should just back off!!! What the hell is THAT suppose to mean?!"

"Get to the point," I said irritably, shaking my head.

"Oh yeah!!! Well, I was just about to head to the Ichiraki stand and wanted to know if you wanna join me!! Don't worry, I'm treating!!!"

"Um…" Now it was awkward. Lee was still standing there and already invited me to a dinner I wasn't comfortable going to.

"It is fine," said Lee, waving a hand. "I can go and tell my team myself. You have not spent much time with your teammates lately, Sakura-san. Please do go."

"I…thank you, Lee-san." I bowed slightly. "I'll see you later. Have fun."

"I will!!" Lee waved to us and ran off.

Naruto grabbed my arm. "C'mon, let's go eat!!!"

"You don't need to tell me twice," I muttered, but I allowed him to pull me down the street towards his favorite ramen vendor.

"I'll have three jumbo bowls with beef, chicken, and a beef/pork combo!!" said Naruto before he even sat down. "Oh and maybe a shrimp bowl!!! What about you, Sakura-chan!!!"

I took my seat. "I'll just have two jumbo beef bowls."

As we waited for our orders, we sat in silence. Naruto was fidgeting and I could tell he wanted to say something.

"…Sakura-chan?" he said finally after five minutes.

"Yeah?"

"I…I'm sorry."

"Huh?" I looked at him in shock. "Why are you sorry? What's to be sorry for?"

"For not being supportive," he said. "When we found out you were pregnant I got pissed off, though not for the right reasons. Sure the whole…thing made me angry, but it wasn't mostly for your sake." He tried to word it as best as he could without revealing anything.

"You don't have to apologize," I said, almost relieved when my order came. "Your attitude about this hasn't hurt me."

"Well, I still could've handled it better." He scratched his head nervously. "I haven't done anything to help you. I wish I could've helped you with…this, but Granny Tsunade had a few points." His other hand rested on his stomach, where his seal was. "I've been sulking and pissed off, but then Kakashi-sensei beat the crap out of me and totally told me off. Don't get me wrong; he didn't tell me to apologize. After he did that I realized I was being an asshole, so…I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," I repeated, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "I'm not mad at you and I don't blame you. You have a right to feel the way you do, Naruto. Hell, _everyone's_ probably all messed up over this. It's hard on me, but I'm getting by. You should, too."

He sat there for a few moments before nodding. "…All right. It hasn't been easy, but I can't imagine what it's been like for you."

"I'm okay," I said, turning back to my meal. "And my baby's okay. I just went for a sonogram today."

"What's a sonogram?"

"This." I pulled out the photo and handed it to him.

"WHOA!!!! Is this your kid?!?!"

"Yeah, Naruto."

"Wow!!!" He clutched the photo in his hands so tightly I thought he might rip it in half. He stared at it with a similar expression Lee wore when he first saw her. "Do you know if it's a boy or girl?"

"No." I held out my hand for the photo. "The doctor doesn't normally use a sonogram so he couldn't tell."

"Aw, that sucks."

"I don't mind surprises." I motioned for him to hand it back.

Naruto didn't notice. "Wow…this is so cool…"

"Thanks. Can I have it back now?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." He handed it back. "So how far until he comes out?"

"…Five months. Don't you pay attention?"

"Um…" he fidgeted again. "Sorry?"

I rolled my eyes and put the photo away. "Never mind. I'm gonna finish and head home."

"Ooh, hang on!! I'll walk you home!!!"

"…All right."


	7. Part 6

Part 6

_Why_ did I set my alarm clock this morning?!

I swung my arm and hit the snooze button as hard as I could. Unfortunately, no matter how comfortable I tried to get I could get back to sleep.

"Dammit," I growled, punching the mattress. I stopped trying to go to sleep and struggled to get out of bed. It was difficult to swing my legs over the side of the bed thanks to my very large stomach. I braced myself there and took a few deep breaths. "Just two more months…just two more months…"

I forced myself to my feet and hobbled over to my desk. A golden framed photo sat there alongside a notepad. I managed a smile as I picked up the picture frame and the notepad, staring down at my baby.

"Good morning," I greeted the photo. Even though my baby wasn't really there but was still in the womb, I felt a bigger connection with the sonogram photo because I could see her.

I glanced at the notepad. "Um…good morning Keiko, Yuri, Tsubaki, Akane, Momo, Yuki, Asuka, Kana, Fuuko, Satsuki, or Remi."

I frowned and picked up a pencil and crossed off 'Asuka' and 'Remi'. "Hmm…I was hoping it'd be easier to settle on a name…"

I flipped the steno pad a few pages, where three boy's names were written. "Takuya, Hisoka, and Masashi. Well, that's the best I can do." I dropped the notepad on the desk and carefully set down the picture frame.

I got dressed and took my time going downstairs. I loved days off. I loved them even more as my due date came. It was getting harder mustering up enough strength to go through even a four-hour shift at the flower shop. I was almost hoping for the time when I'd be forced on permanent maternity leave, or something.

I didn't hear a lot of banging around in the kitchen, which meant Lee had already left for the day. Good; I didn't wanna have to pick through a spicy breakfast again.

But I found another cause for irritation when I entered the kitchen. A big boxed lunch I'd spent an hour preparing last night was still sitting on the counter. He forgot his lunch. Again.

"Dammit," I grumbled. I'd been looking forward to just lounging around the house all day. But it looked like I had to go take idiot his lunch.

And it didn't help that it weighed about 4 kilos. But I sucked it up and headed outside, silently praying he was still on the training grounds with his team.

People didn't stare at me as much as they use to. But considering my growing size some of them took me for an invalid and wanted to carry Lee's lunch for me. I mustered up as much kindness as I could and declined their offers. I know they wanted to help me, but I think I could carry a freakin' lunch box by myself, no matter how heavy it was.

It still took me a half hour to reach the training grounds, though. But I was very relieved to see that Team Gai was in fact there. Lee and Neji were engaged in a vigorous skirmish, exchanging quick blows. Gai instructed them from a good distance away and Tenten was sitting under a tree calmly sharpening her kunai. I didn't want to interfere with their training, but at the same time it would be stupid to just leave his lunch there and go without saying anything. So I waited for them to stop. I didn't have to wait long; Gai-sensei spotted me almost immediately.

"OI!!!!!!!" he boomed unnecessarily. Lee and Neji stopped very abruptly. "Hey there little missy!!!!"

"Um…" Great, now all four of them were looking at me weird. I forced a smile and came closer. "I'm sorry to disturb your training, but Lee-san forgot his lunch and—"

"That is it!!!!" cried Lee, snapping his fingers. "I knew when I left today I had forgotten something!!!!"

"How very nice of you, Sakura-chan!!" said Gai, taking Lee's lunch from me. "You're a good little housewife!!!!"

I had the strong urge to kick him. He knew damn well about the charade!!!

Lee ran over and bowed. "Thank you so much Sakura-san, for bringing me my lunch again!!!" He turned to Gai. "May I have my lunch, Gai-sensei?"

"Now remember Lee!!! The true meaning of teamwork is in sharing!!!"

"Um—"

"Now then!!" he held the lunch box high and turned to Neji and Tenten. "Who wants some lunch?"

"If it's Lee lunch, no thank you," said Neji curtly, looking away.

"Is my lunch not good enough?!" demanded Lee, clenching his fists.

"Your lunches usually have volcanic spice in them, which I don't particularly favor."

"Do you dare insult this delicious lunch Sakura-san put so much time into?!"

"Lee-san—" I said.

"UNFORGIVEABLE!!!!!!!!!" Lee lunged at Neji rather comically. And predictably all Neji had to do was land a single blow and Lee went flying.

I pressed a hand to my face. "Unbelievable…"

"I wasn't insulting your cooking, Sakura," said Neji, walking over towards me. "I just don't like spicy foods."

I laughed nervously. I wasn't use to talking to him directly and I had to admit he was pretty intimidating. "I don't like spicy foods either. But Lee-san likes it and so I figured I should make him what he likes."

Neji said nothing to this. I suddenly felt very self-conscious as he looked me over. His eyes rested on my stomach for a good few minutes, his expression unreadable.

Finally, he turned around and walked away. "We need to get back to our training."

"TRUE ENOUGH!!!!!" declared Gai, not at all worried that Lee was sticking out of a tree. "More training and THEN lunch!!!!"

I bowed slightly. "I'm sorry again for bothering you!!"

"Tsk tsk!!!" Gai shoved his finger in my face. "Never say that, Sakura-chan!! You shall never be a bother to US!!! Feel free to stop by anytime you wish!!! Tenten, come and say hello to Sakura-chan!!!"

I realized Tenten hadn't joined us; she was still sitting under the tree. I looked in her direction and grew cold. She didn't look the least bit happy to see me. I didn't know her too well, but I've never seen that look on her face before.

"Come, Tenten!!!" insisted Gai, oblivious to the look on her face.

"It's fine, Gai-san," I said, feeling very uncomfortable. If Tenten didn't want to talk to me, it shouldn't be forced.

But Tenten got to her feet and walked over to us. Her head was lowered so I didn't have to see that look. But she didn't look up, even as she stood in front of me.

"There, that's more like it!!" said Gai happily.

"How are you doing, Sakura-san?" asked Tenten stiffly, her eyes on the ground.

"I-I'm all right," I said.

"And your baby…how is he?"

"She's doing fine, too."

"Ah." Tenten lifted her gaze enough to look at my stomach, much like how Neji did. I wrapped my arms around my stomach.

"And how are you Tenten-san?" I asked uneasily.

"I'm all right. I guess." She looked at Gai. "I really need to sharpen those weapons."

Gai looked a little startled, but he covered it up with his usual smile. "All right then!!! Go forth, Tenten!!!!"

Tenten nodded and went back to her spot without saying anything more.

Gai laughed nervously. "Tenten's usually like that when it comes to her weapons!!!"

"Yeah," I said, not really convinced.

---

It bothered me for a while after that. That wasn't the first time Tenten was cold to me. I ran into Team Gai a lot and she either pointedly ignored me or barely spoke to me. She never said anything directly rude to me, but it still bothered me.

I wound up in a small café. I took a booth in a dark corner and had a cup of tea. But I idly stirred it and stared out the window, trying to figure it out. I didn't know her that well, but Lee always talked about how nice she was. Was she just nice to everyone but me?

I stopped stirring as a thought occurred to me. Was she just jealous? Neji and Tenten were still in the dark about this true paternity battle. They though Lee was my baby's father. Was that why she was upset.

Wait…was she in love with Lee?

"Oh shit," I grumbled, ducking my head. I was caught in a real mess. I didn't expect our lie was gonna really hurt anyone. Now I had some weapons specialist really pissed at me.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. "Well now. What're you doing all by yourself in this corner?"

"Nothing really, Kakashi-sensei," I mumbled, not even turning around. He chuckled and took a seat across from me. I was startled to see Sai take a seat next to him and Naruto practically fall into the seat next to me. "Are you all done for the day?"

"In a manner of speaking," said Kakashi cheerfully.

Sai reached across him and grabbed the thick menu. "Okay then…I'll have three of these, two of that, two of those…oh, and three of this—"

"Isn't that a little much?" asked Naruto, grabbing another menu. He flipped through it. "I don't see any ramen…"

"I don't think it's too much," said Sai cheerfully. "I just wanna make Sakura more comfortable."

I growled at him, reaching for Naruto's kunai.

"And I'd appreciate it if you didn't throw a weapon at me."

I dropped my hand.

"So how's your baby doing?" asked Naruto, talking at my stomach though he addressed me.

"She's doing all right," I said, sipping my now lukewarm tea.

"So you found out the gender?"

"No, not yet. I'd rather be surprised."

"Then how come you keep referring to him as a girl?" asked Sai, flipping through the menu.

"How come you refer to her as a boy?!" I shot back.

"All right, calm down," said Kakashi, raising his hands for peace. "There's a reason I called us all together."

He did what? He just showed up with Naruto and Sai!!

Kakashi glanced all around us as if to make sure no one was listening in. The nearest customers were at a table ten feet away. He leaned in close and motioned for us to do the same. "I got a very important message from Hokage-sama a while ago."

"Is that why you were nine hours late today?!" grumbled Naruto.

"What message?" I asked.

Kakashi looked directly at me. "As you know, we cannot directly make contact with Orochimaru yet. But, we have agents out in the fields monitoring him."

"You know where he is?!" Naruto almost shrieked.

"No," said Kakashi impatiently. "But we have agents out there listening and watching for the latest news on him; we do the same on the Akatsuki. It's about the only way we get any leads on either group."

"By listening to rumors?!" I grumbled.

"Sakura, I'm talking about ninja who are trained to filter out bullshit from fact. _That's_ how we've found out what we know so far."

"…What did they find out?"

Kakashi glanced around again and leaned in even closer. "For the time being, it looks as though Orochimaru halted his activities."

"Eh?!" cried Naruto. "Halted?!"

"Keep your voice down!!"

"What do you mean by 'halted'?" asked Sai.

"I mean his Sound village and him haven't made a move. He's almost completely healed and logic would say it's about time for him to take over Sasuke, right? But according to our sources, he hasn't."

"But…" I started getting worried. "But we don't know that. They might've stopped _because_ of this."

"Sakura, if Orochimaru's anything he's an exhibitionist. Remember how much of a spectacle he made of destroying our village and killing the Sandaime Hokage? He has one of the last surviving members of one of Konoha's strongest ninja families. Why would he want to hide his own power over him when it would be a lot more effective in making an impression by doing this possession as publicly as possible?"

I saw his point. "So…why have they stopped?"

"We don't know yet," said Kakashi simply. "But this has Hokage-sama worried. She said 'knowing Orochimaru, he's either making preparations for something big or he something's bothering him'."

"You mean—my baby?!" I almost screamed it.

"Like I said, we don't know yet. But it's rather convenient that the Sound have slipped under the radar just seven months into your pregnancy."

I clasped my stomach with both hands.

"So what you're saying…" said Sai softly. "Is that Orochimaru heard about her pregnancy and stopped Sound temporarily either because he already knew about it or he was to investigate it?"

"Pretty much," said Kakashi.

I felt like I'd been sucker-punched. It had taken me a while to cope with being pregnant, especially under the circumstances that happened to me. And we'd tried so _hard_ to squash any rumors about who the potential father might.

Was that all in vain?

"Sakura-chan." Naruto's voice brought me back to reality. "Don't let Orochimaru scare you. I'll protect both you and your baby!!!"

"We all will," said Kakashi. "And we'll get to the bottom of what Orochimaru's doing."

"Looks like you're the center of attention now," said Sai, turning back to his menu.

I kicked him as hard as I could in the shin.

---

"Sakura-san, are you sure you are feeling all right?" asked Lee for the millionth time.

"Yes, I'm fine," I said over my shoulder. "I'm just a little worried, that's all." When we'd both gotten home that night I'd told him about what Kakashi told me. I could tell it worried Lee, but he covered it up by over-worrying about me.

"I swore I would protect your baby and you and I intend to keep that promise!!"

I couldn't hold back a smile as I turned to the stairs. "I know, Lee-san. Just be sure to take care of yourself."

"Do not worry!! I am very capable of taking care of everyone, including myself!!"

Something occurred to me then before I started up. "Lee-san…do you know if Tenten-san's feeling all right?"

"Tenten? Hmm…not that I know of. She's been a lot moodier lately but I don't think she's sick or anything. Why, did something happen?"

_He's clueless_, I thought silently. Aloud I said, "Oh, it's nothing. I'm going to go to bed early tonight."

"Okay, Sakura-san!! I will clean up before I go to bed!!"

"Thank you." I took my time going upstairs. All the while I could hear clattering in the kitchen.

I couldn't blame him for what someone else was feeling. It would probably make Tenten feel better if she knew Lee wasn't actually the father. But I knew better than to take that risk, especially since Tsunade threatened to kick my ass.

"Everyone's gonna find out sooner or later," I said bitterly. I didn't like that Orochimaru just stopped everything. Though I'm more than happy it gives us more time to save Sasuke, I had to admit it was very well timed.

_Well, it could either be well timed or something he's pulling out of his ass._

I went into my room and walked over to my desk. I picked up the photo of my baby. In just two months she would be born. I was scared about what was going to happen when that time came.

"We can get through this," I said aloud, more to myself than to her. "I know we can. We _have_ to."

I looked down at the list of baby names next to the where the photo. Frowning a little, I picked up the pencil and crossed off 'Fuuko' and 'Yuri'.

I don't usually do this, but just as a head's up the next chapter is 'the moment of truth'. Although, you'll have to see what kind of moment of truth it is.


	8. Part 7

Part 7

With a smile on my face I took hold of my red magic marker and crossed off today's date off my calendar. Just below this day into next week, a big red circle surrounded the date.

"Just one week," I said aloud, capping my marker. "Just one more week…"

I couldn't believe I made it this far. Nine months of pregnancy, six months of awareness of this pregnancy, and nonstop worrying.

But now…now that the delivery date was so close, I was starting to relax. Even though I was scared as hell about the matter in general. I'd only seen a few deliveries myself, and it's been a nerve-wreaking experience. And my own delivery was a little scary too.

I was only too happy that I made it this far without further problems.

I left my room and headed down the hall. Accommodating a full developed baby had been difficult at first; I had to resort to wobbling back and forth as I walked, unable to just walk standard anymore. But one more week…and she would be born.

I entered what had been my parent's room and what was Lee's temporary room. He'd insisted I make this room the nursery for my child, having nowhere else to put her. My chest tightened, but I sucked it up and walked across the room to the crib stationed right in front of the window. I put my hands on the rail and stared into it, empty except for a pillow and some tiny blankets.

Soon she would sleep in there.

"We'll be okay, Tsubaki," I said, putting a hand over the top of my stomach. "I just know we will…"

It'd taken me a long time to finally settle on a name. It was just last week that I decided to name her 'Tsubaki'. Our names would match after all, since we were named for flowers.

I still hadn't decided on what to name her if she was a boy, though.

I left the room and headed downstairs. Technically I was suppose to be on bedrest right up to the time I was going to give birth, but I didn't wanna lie in bed all day for a week. Especially since Lee couldn't stay at home all the time and I had a tub of ice cream in the freezer with my name on it.

Not that there was anything wrong with my pregnancy; I'd continued to work until about two weeks ago until Tsunade personally ordered me on full maternity leave and put me on bedrest so I wouldn't do anything.

I didn't mind it as much as I thought I would. I was afraid I was enjoying this time off a little _too _much.

I grabbed said tub of ice cream, rocky road, out of the freezer, grabbed a spoon from the drawer, and headed into the living room. I stretched out on the couch, kicked up my feet, and looked for my remote. All right…I was enjoying my time off _way_ too much. But I was more relieved than really anything. After being told that Orochimaru halted his activities momentarily just two months, I was on edge, expecting that bastard to pop up any minute.

But he didn't. No one did, for that matter. Which was all the better for me.

So I sat there, eating my ice cream and watching TV, just enjoying myself and blotting all worries from my mind.

Then my front door exploded.

I wish I could say I jumped straight up to defend myself against the intruder, but I didn't. I just sat there, slack-jawed with a full spoon in one hand, tub in the other as thunderous footsteps echoed my house.

"Sakura!!!" That was Tsunade.

I stared at her with the same expression as she stormed over to stand in front of me. To my utter astonishment, various ANBU ran throughout my house, fully armed. One curiously shut off my TV as he ran past.

"Clear!!" yelled one from the bathroom.

"Clear!!"

"Clear!!"

This echoed throughout my house. I just stared dumbly at Tsunade, at a complete loss for words.

Then Tsunade addressed me. "Are you all right?"

"Uh…" I looked around me, seeing fierce ANBU standing guard. I was positively terrified. "I think so…"

"Did anyone come in here and threaten you?"

"…No." I focused back on her. "Tsunade-sensei, what the fuck's going on?!"

Before she answered me, an ANBU ran up to her and saluted. "The house is empty, Hokage-sama!!!"

Tsunade nodded. "Good. We can't stay here, though." She waved a hand. Two ANBU approached me, one taking my spoon, the other the ice cream tub. I vaguely heard them deposit both into my kitchen sink when Tsunade continued. "We're moving out. We need to put Haruno Sakura in a secure location."

"Tsu—" I was cut off by two other ANBU. They linked their arms in mine and literally picked me up from the couch. Then we left my house, the two ANBU carrying me, my toes inches from the ground. We past several people down the street, each one of them looked shocked and terrified by this spectacle.

I tried again. "Tsunade-sensei, what's going on?! Where are you taking me?!"

"A group of our field agents was attacked yesterday," said Tsunade, not looking over her shoulder. "Only one was left alive and he gave us a message."

"WHAT MESSAGE?!" I growled in frustration.

Tsunade stopped briefly and turned to look at me. The ANBU who surrounded us stopped as well.

"Uchiha Itachi is on his way here as we speak."

That stunned me into silence.

"I can only guess the rumors leaked out, despite our best efforts, and he wants to investigate them. It looks like we have no choice but to give up this façade, at least to Konoha."

We continued on our way and Tsunade said nothing more about the matter.

Uchiha Itachi…on his way here? I wasn't going to pretend he was coming for Naruto. My baby was going to be born in exactly one week.

And he was coming. And Orochimaru stopped his activities…both groups must've found out somehow. Everything we did to protect my baby these past few months really_ was_ in vain!!!

I didn't say anything or react to anything else. What was I going to do? What exactly did Itachi and Orochimaru know?

I came back to awareness as the ANBU dispersed except for the two that held me. I realized we were in Tsunade's building standing in front of one of her lounges.

"Put her on the middle couch once we get in," she instructed the ANBU. She turned to me. "Sakura…we're gonna have to let everyone know about this. Your baby's safety is our highest priority, but Itachi is a Class-S criminal. I don't know if he plans on murdering as many people as he can to get to you, but at least a few people should know about why he's here."

I jerked my head in some resemblance of a nod. "I understand. Let's just get this over with."

We went inside and I got another shock. My team, Lee's team, Ino's team, and Hinata's team were all in there, either sitting on the couch or standing up. Everyone looked at us as we came inside. Naruto and Lee immediately came alert when they saw me. The two ANBU put me on the center couch between Naruto and Sai. Then they left, though they probably were guarding the door.

"Hokage-sama, what's going on?" asked Ino, though her eyes were on me. _Everyone_ was looking at me. They could probably guess this had to do with me.

"I'll be frank," said Tsunade. "Uchiha Itachi is coming."

"EH?!?!" cried everyone except me.

"He attacked one of our field groups yesterday and murdered everyone except one member. That member somehow made it back early this morning and told us what happened. He said Itachi only said one thing, 'Tell the harlot I'm coming for her'."

Silence followed this. I felt faint when I heard those words. Itachi really was coming after me.

"Harlot?" asked Kiba. "What harlot? What is he talking about?"

Tsunade's eyes settled on me. "I mean…he's coming after Sakura."

"WHAT?!?!" cried Ino. "Sakura?! But why?! She's not a harlot!!!! She's carrying Lee-san's child!!!"

"No, I'm not," I said quietly. I didn't want Tsunade to do the talking; this was my problem, my child in danger.

"What?" Ino said this very softly now. I could feel a ripple of apprehension across the room. "What do you mean?"

I found I couldn't go on any further. Lee noticed this and stood up.

"She means…" Lee gulped and continued. "I'm not her baby's father. I never was."

Naruto took hold of my hand and squeezed it. I barely noticed it; my eyes were planted on the floor.

"We're not going into any details," said Tsunade. "But, a few people seem to think Uchiha Sasuke fathered this child. We didn't want Uchiha Itachi or Orochimaru to get this idea, so Rock Lee agreed to be a stand-in to stave off these rumors.

"Of course, Orochimaru has gone under the radar and Itachi is on his way here as we speak. Somehow these rumors still made it back to them."

"But…" I could feel Ino's eyes on me. She sounded hurt and angry. "You told me it was Lee-san's child!!! That's what _you_ told me, Sakura!! Why didn't you just tell me you didn't know who the father was?!?! I would've understood!!! How could you keep this from me?! I thought we were friends!!"

I closed my eyes to keep the tears from spilling out.

"That's enough, Ino," said Kakashi coldly. "You're not the only one who didn't know. We kept this from the entire village strictly because this village is full of eyes and ears that are not looking out for our well-being. This isn't about who was being lied to, this is about the well-being of Sakura's child. _That's _the only thing that's important right now."

Ino didn't say anything more, but I could feel that others were equally upset by this deception. I didn't open my eyes.

"Did Itachi say what he wanted?" asked Naruto.

"According to our injured ninja, no. We don't even know what he plans on doing once he arrives. But there's one thing that's certain; he can't meet Sakura. We have to keep him out of here and away from her.

"I understand this deception has offended and hurt some of you. But Kakashi is right; we did it solely for her child and it doesn't matter how many of you are hurt. That can be overcome, but if her baby is taken by Orochimaru or Itachi, that's something that can't be overcome. Do you all understand?"

"…Yes, ma'am," came the reluctant reply.

"Now then…" Tsunade folded her arms. "According to our calculations, Itachi should arrive here within the next two to three hours. I've already mobilized the ninja who are here to help defend Konoha and keep Itachi at bay. I can't make any promises, but I'm hoping we can stop him and maybe even put him under arrest. I need all of your help in doing this. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now, Sakura." I opened my eyes to look at her. "You're going to be placed in a secure house in the center of the village. I don't think Itachi will guess that you've been put in there. You'll have ANBU to protect you, and…" she trailed off and looked around the room. "And…Tenten."

I stiffened. Of all people, Tenten?!

"They'll keep an eye on you. But don't do anything to draw attention to yourself, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," I mumbled.

"Tenten, the ANBU will protect Sakura but you're going to be her personal guard. Understand?"

"Of course, Hokage-sama," said Tenten.

"All right then!! The rest of you move out!! Your sensei's will fill you in on the necessary details!!!"

Naruto quickly gave me a hug. "I won't let him near you, Sakura-chan!!"

"Thanks, Naruto."

"Naruto," said Tsunade, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm giving you the order to not approach Itachi."

"HUH?! Why?!"

"Because the Akatsuki are after you. If he manages to get Sakura and even defeat you, he might take you both with him."

"Then what am I suppose to do?!"

"Kakashi will fill you in on the details."

Naruto grumbled, but he let me go and headed over to Kakashi.

"We'll do our jobs," said Sai, patting my shoulder. "Just don't do anything stupid."

"Just shut up!!" I grumbled, brushing his hand off.

Lee ran over and gave me a hug. "I am so sorry I have been unable to help you, Sakura-san!!"

"Lee-san, it's not your fault the rumors still leaked out. You did everything you could to protect us."

"Lee, let's go!!" called Gai.

Lee left with Gai and Neji. Ino left with her team without saying a word to me. I knew I needed to have a long talk with her once this blew over.

"Sakura…san?"

"Huh?" I looked up to see Hinata standing over me. "Yes?"

"I…" she fidgeted a little. "I…I wanted you to know I don't care who fathered your baby. I'll protect you both as best as I can."

Hearing that brought a smile to my face. "Thank you, Hinata. I really appreciate it."

"We'll be going now!!" said Naruto, running back over. Hinata's face turned red and she ducked her head. "And don't worry Sakura-chan; we'll protect you from that bastard!! Won't we, Hinata?"

"Um…" She started fidgeting again and twirling her fingers. "Um…"

---

Everyone mobilized as quickly as possible. As we left Tsunade's building we could see all of Konoha making preparations for Itachi's arrival. Everyone was terrified he was coming here, especially since he successfully snuck into Konoha before.

I was taken to a very tiny house in the middle of the village. It was nothing more than a room than a house; all it had was two chairs and a table. But I couldn't sit down; I paced restlessly, hearing Tenten talking with the ANBU outside.

I couldn't let Itachi near me. I didn't know what he wanted, but I had no answers for him.

_Just one week left!!_ I thought miserably. _I'm giving birth in one week!! Why did this have to happen now?!_

The front door slid open. "What are you doing?!"

"Huh?" I turned to face Tenten. She looked startled and a little angry. "What's wrong?"

"You're supposed to be on bedrest, right? Why are you pacing? Sit down, sit down!!" She hurried over and pushed me into one of the chairs. "Please calm down. Hokage-sama said it's only Itachi, no other members of the Akatsuki. There's twenty ANBU hidden all around this house. He'll have a lot to go through if he even makes it this far."

Tenten ran back to the door and closed it. She pulled out various notes and slapped them all over the door.

"What're those?" I asked.

"Bomb notes. The minute someone opens this door they'll explode. Don't worry, I've already told the ANBU about them. They'll get to us through that secret door behind you."

"Secret door?" I turned to see a simple wall. "Right here?"

"Yeah." Tenten finished and came over to take the other seat. "We're as secure as can be."

"All right…"

Silence followed this. I had no idea what to say. It had been extremely awkward between us. Since she was now speaking to me directly it showed she'd taken my baby news well.

_Maybe you'll have a chance with Lee-san_, I thought, staring down at my hands. This was still awkward; I wasn't really friends with her. I almost wished Tsunade stuck me with Hinata or Ino.

Then again, Ino was pissed off at me and I'm sure Tsunade didn't want to put the Hyuuga heir in such direct danger.

"Say," said Tenten, breaking the silence. "I have my tarot cards on me. Do you want a reading?"

"Sure," I said, hoping for a way to break the tension.

Tenten pulled them out of her pocket. "Do you want a full reading or just a simple one?"

"Simple's fine."

"All right." Tenten started quickly shuffling the cards. Then she held them out to me. "Take three and put them facedown on the table side by side without looking at them."

I did. Tenten set the other cards aside and reached for the one on my left. She flipped it over to reveal a woman with a large star. "Ah, the Queen of Pentacles!!"

"Queen of Pentacles?"

"She's focused on family and stability. It looks like you want a stable and happy environment for your child, right?"

"Y-Yes."

"This is very lucky for you. You'll seek stability and it will come to you."

"T-That's good."

"Now then…" she reached for the middle one and turned it over, revealing a cloaked figure holding a staff. "The Magician!!"

"What does he mean?"

"The Magician's focused on control and stability in an individual's life. You want to gain control of your life the way you want it."

This was real dead ringer for me; it was almost scary. "Yes."

"This means that you will get the control over your life you desire. No one else will decide your fate!!"

"And the last one?"

Tenten seemed to be on a roll. She flipped over the last one, revealing someone blowing a horn. But it was upside down.

"Oh." I didn't like the tone of her voice. "The Judgment. But it's inverted."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Well…the Judgment generally means no one controls your destiny but yourself, so you need to throw away the burdens of the past so nothing holds you back."

"And inverted?"

"It means the opposite. You'll reach for your goals, but something will hold you back."

I felt ill when I heard this. I tried to brush it off. "So I'll get family stability, self stability, but something is going to hinder me?"

Tenten laughed weakly and collected the cards. "I wouldn't worry about it. Tarot cards have a novelty to them. You wouldn't believe the results I get on my own teammates."

I laughed at this too. "I…I'm glad."

"Well, it's certainly fun—"

"No, no. I mean…I'm glad you're not mad at me anymore."

Tenten stopped. "Did I ever say I was mad at you?"

"No. But…you haven't been very pleasant with me lately. Whenever I've seen you, you've been mad."

Tenten calmly shuffled her cards and put them back in her pocket. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to seem like I was hostile towards you. But I wasn't mad at you. I was…just mad overall."

I said nothing to this.

"When I heard you were pregnant and Lee was the father, I was really happy for Lee. I couldn't believe he was becoming a daddy before any of us, but he was just so happy about it. I felt proud of him for finding someone he could love.

"But then…then I started hearing things."

"What things?"

"That you were raped. After it became public you were pregnant, all these rumors broke out. I'm not at surprised Itachi heard about them; I'm a little surprised he's responded so late. But the most predominant one was that you were raped. And since Lee was claiming to be the father…"

Tenten-san!!" I cried, aghast. "You believed those rumors?!"

"Actually, I didn't. I thought people were being a bunch of busy-bodies. But then one day I heard something from Hokage-sama. Shizune-san and her were talking. And she said something like, "Sakura didn't ask for it, but this is the only thing we could do". Our own Hokage said that."

I thumped my head against the wall. I couldn't believe Tsunade. No wonder such crazy rumors got out of control if she spoke openly enough about it that someone else heard!!!

"I didn't know what to think. I could never conceive of Lee raping _anyone_. But he kept talking about the baby and Hokage-sama said that…I didn't know what to think."

"Did…" I swallowed before continuing. "Did you talk to anyone on your team about it?"

"I never brought it up with Lee. But I told Gai-sensei about it. He thought the whole thing was funny and he never gave me a direct answer. Then I asked Neji about it. He told me it was none of my business and I should stop asking questions." Tenten scoffed. "With that Byakugan of his, I'm sure he could see your baby's chakra. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew who the father was."

My heart leapt into my throat. I remembered all the times Neji just stared at my stomach. Did he see my baby's chakra? Could he tell what type of chakra she had? I made a mental note to corner him once this was over.

Tenten drummed her fingers on the table. "My relationship with my team is very complex. It was difficult getting through all this without knowing anything. Lee's like a little brother to me and the last thing I wanted to do was think of him as a rapist. But no one ever told me anything. Sometimes…sometimes I feel like I'm not even part of their team."

I reached out and grabbed her hand. "I'm so sorry about this, Tenten-san. I didn't mean to hurt you like this."

"It's not your fault what my team does. But at least I know the truth now."

"Yeah. And I want you to know there's nothing going on between Lee-san and me. Even when he stayed at my house he slept in a separate room."

Tenten glanced at me. "All right. So?"

I blinked. "I-I don't have any feelings for Lee-san beyond friendship. So you can tell him your feelings—"

Tenten burst out laughing, shocking me. "No, no!! It wasn't like that!!"

"W-What do you mean?"

"It-It—" she couldn't stop laughing. "I'm not in love with Lee!!!"

"Wait, what?"

"Where did you get that idea? He's the little brother I never had…or wanted anyways!!!"

I felt dumb sitting there. "So…you aren't in love?"

"No!!" Tenten wiped tears from her eyes. "Like I said, it's sibling feelings!! Just because I got upset over him doesn't mean he's the one I'm in love with!!"

She realized her error too late and slapped her hands over her mouth.

"Ah, so you _are_ in love with someone!!" I laughed, giving her a shake. "Tell me who it is!!"

Tenten furiously shook her head.

"Aw, c'mon tell me!!"

But before I could pester her more, we heard something outside; a loud thump. Both of us stilled immediately. We'd been so wrapped up in our talk we hadn't paid attention to what was going on around us.

"Tenten," I said quietly, my heart hammering against the wall of my chest. Our eyes were on the front door, decorated in paper bombs. We kept our ears open for anymore sounds. There were twenty ANBU around us, after all. Surely they would be a great defense, right?

But we heard nothing else. But suddenly we saw a shadow fall over the sliding door.

Tenten slammed into me. "LOOK OUT!!!!!!!"

We sailed through the secret backdoor just as the front one creaked open. The sudden explosion stunned me and sent us flying farther through the backyard. We landed so hard I think we both lost consciousness. I was awake moments later to find the backyard full of smoke. I coughed and choked, trying to cover my mouth.

"Tenten-san!!" I gasped weakly, looking next to me. Tenten was lying very still on the ground. She'd absorbed the full force of the landing. I grabbed her arm and shook it. "TENTEN-SAN!!!"

She groaned, indicating she was still alive. I turned her face towards me. The whole right side of her face was bruised and muddy. One of her buns had come undone and the other was quickly following. She didn't look like she had any broken bones, but she was filthy and bruised and her clothes were torn.

She opened her eyes partially, and they looked a little glazed. "…Sakura-san? What happened?"

"I think you put too many of those bombs on the door," I said, looking towards the house. The smoke surrounding us was starting to clear, but the house was engulfed in smoke. I was amazed it was still standing.

"Wha…where's the ANBU?" asked Tenten weakly. She didn't seem to be aware of what was going on. Or maybe that was shock.

"I dunno," I said grimly. But even as I said that I spotted a limp arm sticking out of the bushes a few feet away.

"Wh—"

"Paper bombs. That was a little surprising."

Hearing this unfamiliar voice shook me to the core. _No, no, please no!!!_

Painstakingly I turned my head back to the house. I figure was emerging from the smoke as though they hadn't been caught at the epicenter of the explosion. They came to a stop on the back steps and it was then I knew real fear.

Uchiha Itachi.

The man who had destroyed the Uchiha clan was standing there as calmly as one might be in a normal situation. He reached out and brushed pieces of debris off his shoulder.

Then he looked right at me.

"So," he said with the utmost calm, his eyes traveling over me. They stopped on my stomach. "You must be Haruno Sakura."

I whimpered, choking on a sob. This man was the reason Sasuke turned out the way he did. Why Sasuke was in Orochimaru's grasp right now. I hated him as much as I was fucking terrified of him.

"Konoha gave me a lot of trouble when I arrived," he said, walking down the steps towards me. "And all I wanted to do was ask you a few questions."

He stopped ten feet away from us. Beside me, Tenten was struggling to sit up.

"Over the past four months I've heard a variety of rumors," said Itachi. "That I'd like for you to clarify for me. The first one was that a Konoha kunoichi named Sakura was raped while on a mission. I paid this one no attention because it had nothing to do with me and this could happen to just about anyone on a mission.

"The second one was that the Uchiha clan was in for a revival. Again, I paid this no attention because I have no plans on reviving the Uchiha clan and Sasuke's only mission in life is to kill me.

"But then…then I heard the one that set it for me. That my dear little brother knocked up some girl. So here I have three rumors; a raped Konoha kunoichi, plans for an Uchiha comeback, and Sasuke getting a girl pregnant.

"So then…would you kindly tell which one of these is true?"

I couldn't answer him. I couldn't form two words. All I could do was stammer and tremble because I was so scared.

But Tenten recovered enough to get up and stand in front of me, holding her two scrolls. "None of those rumors are true!!!"

Itachi looked at her. "I wasn't asking you."

"None of those rumors are true," repeated Tenten. Her balance was unsteady. "Rock Lee is the father of Sakura-san's baby. I'm his teammate, I can vouch for him!!!"

Itachi looked back at me. "Is this true?"

I still couldn't muster a reply. I felt so stupid for being so helpless.

Itachi slowly closed his eye. "Then I made a mistake, then."

There was another loud explosion and more smoke and wind. I vaguely realized Tenten had activated her Sōshōryū, though I didn't think it would be too effective against Itachi's Sharingan.

She probably didn't think it would too effective.

I watched her throw every imaginable weapon at where Itachi had been standing. _Please hit him!! Most of them will miss, but SOMETHING please hit him!!!_ I looked around us to see if any other ninja had shown up, but no one else had. Where the fuck WAS everybody?!?!

Tenten landed back on the ground, breathing heavily. She fell to her knees, no doubt from exhaustion. Various weapons that missed their mark had landed all around us.

But when the smoke cleared, the area what empty.

"Shit!!!" she screamed. She tried to get back to her feet but failed miserably.

Then the horror started. Out of nowhere Itachi reappeared right in front of Tenten. He grabbed her by her chin and lifted her up straight off the ground.

"Tenten-san!!!" I screamed. I struggling to get up, but I was unable to manage more than a kneel. Frantically I grabbed for one of her swords.

"Why did you do that?" Itachi asked Tenten calmly. "Did I come here provoking a fight? All I wanted to do was ask some questions. You had no right to butt in."

Tenten growled, swinging a kunai at his head. He grabbed her wrist calmly and twisted it, forcing her to drop the weapon.

"It seems I will have to teach you a lesson," said Itachi, slowly closing his eyes.

I realized with horror what he was going to do. "Tenten-san!!!!! Close your eyes!!!"

I don't know if Tenten managed to close her eyes; she was facing away from me. But Itachi slowly reopened his eyes and Tenten's body went rigid. The Tsukuyomi had taken its hold on her.

Itachi let her go then. Tenten fell hard on the ground, whimpering softly. She clutched her head and curled into a fetal position, her body shaking as though she had spasms.

"Tenten-san, snap out of it!!!" I sobbed, but I knew it was futile. She was caught in it and I couldn't help her.

"Now where was I?" asked Itachi calmly, suddenly standing right in front me. "Ah yes, I was inquiring about your baby."

I readied the sword and lunged at him as best as I could. But it was extremely pitiful. He halted me in mid-lunge and yanked the sword out of my hands. Then he grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled me to my feet.

"Since you claim this baby isn't Sasuke's," he said, looking down at my stomach. "Then you won't mind if I check myself, right?"

"Go to hell!!" I growled, trying to attack him with my bare hands. But he twisted my head back in such a way I thought my neck was going to snap. I cried in pain and by reflex reached back with both hands to grab his.

That left his other hand to press against my belly.

I couldn't stop sobbing. Never in my life did I feel so helpless. Sure, I'd been in bad spots, but never with an unborn child involved. I stared up at the clear, praying to some unseen god that this would end swiftly. _I'm sorry…I'm so sorry Tsubaki…I didn't do enough to protect you…_

Suddenly, Itachi's hand was gone. My head was yanked upright again and I found myself nose to nose with him. But he no longer had a calm, cool expression on his face. He looked very angry.

"Little girl," he said calmly, though he sounded like he was suppressing rage. "Why did you lie to me?"

"Wh-What?" I said dumbly, trying to lean away from him. "I-I-I didn't lie—"

His hold on my hair tightened. "You told me Sasuke didn't father this child. But he did."

My body went numb. His words echoed through my head. "He…he—You lie!!!!"

Itachi narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Why would I waste my breath on a lie? This child." He pointed at my stomach. "Has an Uchiha chakra. If some other man fathered him, then this wouldn't be the case."

"B-B-But—"

"There are only two Uchiha's left in the world; Sasuke and myself. And I never touched you until now. That only leaves Sasuke.

"I'll ask again. Why did you lie to me?"

I stammered useless gibberish. More tears leaked out of my eyes. Even if some hidden part of me wanted this, it was beyond my expectations.

Sasuke's the father…

Sasuke's the father…

Sasuke's the father…

Sasuke's the father…

"Did he tell you not to tell me?" asked Itachi, giving my head a little shake. "Is that why you lied?"

"I…I didn't know!!!!" I sobbed. "I didn't know Sasuke-kun was the father!!!!!! I honestly didn't know!!!!!"

I started sobbing hysterically. Itachi looked at me with his pitiless eyes, but he seemed at a loss what to do.

"I won't waste my breath in asking you _why_ he did this then," he said finally, loosening his grip on my hair.

I shoved at him feebly. "Let me go!!!!!!"

He said nothing to this, but he looked around us. I realized there was shouting around us. Hope flared up within me, even though it was over shadowed by my despair.

Suddenly, Itachi's face was in front of mine again. But he no longer looked angry.

"Why don't we _both_ ask him why, Sakura-san?"

Then everything went dark.


	9. Part 8

Part 8

I had no feeling in my arms. That was the only thought that registered when I came around. Mainly because it hurt so much!!

I cracked one eye open tentatively. I was so stunned by what I saw, both of my eyes snapped open. This wasn't my room!!

It didn't look anything remotely like my house. It was just a simple bare room that looked surprisingly clean. There no furniture at all in the room, except for a tall pitcher, a bowl, and a pile of towels sitting nearby. The one window in the room was narrow and had bars over it. The door to the room was in the far corner.

I looked down at myself. I was still wearing the same clothes and it looked like I was partially laying on a very flat futon.

Then I looked up and saw why my arms had no feeling. Two irons clasps were clenched tightly around my wrists. A short chain extended from them to a long bar attached to the wall. I flexed my hands, but I could only graze the chains. I yanked on them as hard as I could, which was pitiful since my arms were asleep. But the bar didn't even budge.

Panic started settling in. Where was I? What happened when I was confronted by Itachi? He must've knocked me out somehow. But he couldn't have taken me clear out of the village with all the ninja armed for his arrival, could he?

I started yanking on the chains desperately, fighting back tears. I couldn't stay there, wherever this was!! The bar still didn't budge, but my chains made loud rattling sounds.

Footsteps approached the door. I stopped immediately and braced myself. My eyes were filling with tears, but I blinked them back.

The door rattled, indicating there were several locks on it. I bit my lower lip to hide a whimper.

The door finally opened and Itachi strolled in. I was positively stunned. Though I really wasn't expecting anyone else, I definitely wasn't expecting him to be holding a tray full of food.

"So you're awake," he said evenly. "That saves me some trouble." He set the tray down right in my lap and pulled out a key. He unlocked the clasps around my wrists.

My arms fell like dead weights, but I was immediately on guard. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? Feeding you." He moved away slightly, but sat down in front of me. "You've been unconscious for nearly two days so I imagined you'd be quite hungry."

I stared down at the tray warily. I was _very_ hungry, but there was no way in hell I was going to eat something Itachi made. "What did you do this for?"

"You're very close to your due date. You might as well be healthy for it."

I pushed the tray away. "I don't want it."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. "I know you're not a stupid person. Or do you not care about the well-being of your child?"

"It all depends on what you plan on _doing_ with my child!!" I snapped back. "Why am I here? What do you want?! Is this the—"

"No," interrupted Itachi. "I did not bring you to the Akatsuki hideout. I'm not so foolish as to expose its whereabouts to someone as insignificant as you. Besides, my family's problems are not their business. Or would you rather I get them involved in this?"

I quickly shook my head. "Then where am I?!"

"This is an abandoned house in the mountains. I lawfully purchased it, and the surrounding property. And just so we're clear, there's nobody else around."

This news made me anything but happy. I closed my eyes. "So what do you plan on doing?"

Itachi hesitated before answering. "To be honest, I don't have a set plan yet. I did not expect the rumors to be true, but I needed clarity on the subject. Let me say you should be lucky the rumors were true, because if they weren't I would've killed you on the spot for all that I went through to find out."

"Gee, thanks a lot," I said sarcastically, glaring at him. "So why am I here?"

Itachi shrugged. "Since I entered Konoha believing the rumors were false, I had no backup plan. Out of all the things I thought Sasuke would do, raping some girl wasn't one of them. I pride myself on knowing everything about my little brother and when he does things that are…out of character, I must know why."

"And what are we doing here?!"

"I thought it would be best if I kept you with me until my dear little brother comes and informs me why he did this."

I burst out laughing. After his talk of Sasuke acting out of character, Itachi didn't seem to look at himself. Spontaneously kidnapping me and expecting Sasuke to come was a little unrealistic.

And I all readily informed him of this. "What makes you think Sasuke-kun will show up here to save me?!"

"I'm not one for subtleties," said Itachi matter-of-factly. "So I made your kidnapping as public and extravagant as possible. The Godaime Hokage and many, many ninja saw me with you and I made sure to inform _all _of them of your baby's true paternity. And for good measure, I destroyed a couple of houses as I was leaving. This news is running rampant all across the countryside. I wouldn't be surprised if Sasuke and Sound had received it already. It's only a matter of time until Sasuke comes here."

"That doesn't mean he _will _come here," I said hotly.

"You obviously don't know my little brother very well. I didn't bother covering my tracks as I brought you here."

"That just means ANYONE could get here!!!!!"

"Perhaps, but once Sasuke learns I have his bastard child in my grasp he'll surely arrived expediently."

"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY BABY THAT WAY!!!!!" I roared, lunging at him. But both my pregnancy and the heavy tray held me back.

For good measure, Itachi reached out and slammed me back into the wall. "That's enough of that, Sakura-san. I won't tolerate such behavior. You're due in a scant few days and I daresay you should reserve your strength for that."

"And my baby? What will you do with her?!" I snarled, trying to get out of his grip.

"I haven't decided," said Itachi. "If Sasuke doesn't arrive in time or doesn't bother showing up, I might take him under my wing. Surely _that_ will get his attention."

"You put your hands on her and I'll kill you!!!" I struggled even more furiously against his grip. But he didn't waver in the slightest.

"You're in no position to be threatening me, Sakura-san. I'm in control here and there's nothing you can do about it." He let me go and stood up. "Now eat. I'm going to keep you unchained from now on, but the door will be locked. I'll assume you're smart enough to not try escaping; we're the only people around and the mountain is full of predators. You wouldn't survive five minutes outside in your condition. If you try to escape, I'll chain you up again. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

He left the room and locked the door behind him. I was left alone in the room with the food tray still in my lap. It allowed me to stew over what had happened to me.

"_You told me Sasuke didn't father this child. But he did."_

"_This child has an Uchiha chakra. If some other man fathered him, then this wouldn't be the case."_

_Sasuke-kun's the father._

"Sasuke-kun's the father," I repeated aloud. It hurt me to say it. I pressed a hand over my stomach. "Sasuke-kun…he's the one…"

I still couldn't get over it. My childhood fantasy had come true; Uchiha Sasuke got me pregnant. But didn't make me happy. Not when I didn't know _why _he did it.

My stomach groaned painfully and I bit my lower lip. I didn't trust Itachi, not in the least. For all I knew, he might've poisoned the food.

_But if he wanted me dead, he would've killed me in Konoha and not gone to all this trouble_, I thought. If I didn't eat anything leading up to my pregnancy, there might be serious complications.

I took a deep breath and swallowed my pride. Hesitantly I picked up the chopsticks and a piece of fried shrimp. I nibbled on it. It tasted all right, like a standard piece of shrimp. I reluctantly allowed myself to enjoy the meal.

"_You obviously don't know my little brother very well."_

_No, I don't. I don't know why Sasuke-kun did this to me. But when I see him again…IF I see him again, I'll never give him peace until he tells me why…_

---

My days were dull there. I sat alone in that room for hours with absolutely nothing to do. I was glad I was free to walk around the room, but the only thing of interest was the window. All I could outside it was a large courtyard before a large cluster of trees.

Itachi paid me very little attention, except to bring me food and take me to the bathroom when I created a fuss about it. I found out also that the pitcher and bowl were filled with water, which Itachi changed regularly. He even took away the towels and washed them. I didn't realize at the time exactly what purpose these served.

Other than meet my primary needs, he hardly spoke to me. I wasn't exactly inclined to engage in conversation with him, but the never-ending silence was starting to get to me. A few times I tried talking to him, only to be ignored. He only spoke to me when he initiated the conversations, but it was always about my baby and Sasuke.

I knew this showed how little regard he had for me. I don't know why, but it hurt that he was like this. It reminded me a lot of Sasuke. Why did the Uchihas turn out this way? Why did _any _of this have to happen?

Then again, none of that mattered. Itachi didn't have hopeful plans for my baby. And if Sasuke _did _show up, I doubt he would let us return to Konoha. Well, maybe not me; surely after she was born my importance would quickly diminish.

_I'll protect you, Tsubaki. Whatever's going on, I won't let ANYONE take you. Right now…all I can hope for is that I get rescued before you're born and that Naruto-kun and the others beat Sasuke-kun here…_

---

Early one morning I was startled awake. A stab of pain rippled throughout my abdomen. I gasped quietly and clutched my stomach. After a brief moment it subsided and I sighed in relief. I went back to sleep, only to be jolted awake about ten minutes later by another wave of pain. Like the first it faded within moments, but now I was panicking.

Contractions. I was starting to go into labor. Frantically, I tried to count how many days I'd been held captive. Why oh why didn't I keep track?! Or even prepare myself?!?! I was too busy brooding and waiting for someone to rescue me!!!

Another contraction hit me and I yelped in pain. I quickly slapped a hand over my mouth while the other hugged my stomach. I didn't want Itachi to know I was in early labor, though in a few hours it was going to become extremely obvious. But I was still clinging to the hope that someone would show up. And I'd be damned if I would give birth to my baby in front of Uchiha Itachi of all people!!

It didn't make my situation any better, though. I don't think I'd ever felt anything remotely so painful. I was already exhausting all my energy trying to keep as quiet as possible; I nearly bit through my bottom lip when a particularly nasty one hit me. I knew labors were no picnic, but this was beyond anything I would've expected.

I don't know how long this lasted, but I assumed by how the sun moved it was about four or five hours. Personally I was impressed with myself. It made a little confident I could pull this off without Itachi knowing about it.

Suddenly, the room went very bright and an explosion rocked the house. I screamed and covered my head, temporarily forgetting about my contractions. Then everything went still, but it was no longer quiet. I could hear the crackling sounds of fire and could smell smoke and burning wood.

Even through my fear and pain, relief washed over me. Someone came!!! I was going to be rescued!! And not a moment too soon!!

The door rattled again and Itachi appeared in the doorway. I feebly sat up and tried very hard not to look like I was in pain.

"Well, well," he said smoothly, smiling a humorless smile. "It would appear my assumption was correct."

My heart plummeted. "You mean—" I broke off by another contraction hitting me.

Luckily for me, Itachi didn't notice. "Little Sasuke has come to fetch you, Sakura-san."

I hunched over in pain, but Itachi probably thought I was afraid. "Judging from the Katon Gōkakyū no Jutsu that just hit the house, he must mean business. I think I'll oblige him." He turned to leave. "Wait here, unless you want to get caught in the crossfire." He closed the door behind him, but didn't lock it. Not that I could go anywhere.

I lay there very still for a few moments, trying to do a few breathing exercizes while the latest contraction faded. Once it was once I forced myself into a sitting postion. Then, using the wall as my support, I slid up until I was standing. I knew this wasn't very smart, but something in me told me I _had_ to know what was going on. And since the door was too far, I struggled to head towards the window.

"It's been a long time, Sasuke," I heard Itachi say from outside when I got close enough. Another contraction hit me, but I gritted my teeth and grabbed one of the window bars. The window itself was higher than I was tall, but I managed to pull myself up and look outside.

"What are you planning, Itachi?" I couldn't see him, but I definitely heard Sasuke's voice. Even now it was painful.

"I could ask you the same, little brother." I couldn't see Itachi either, but they sounded like they were close by. "How has your training with Orochimaru been? Do you think you're strong enough to kill me now?"

"…I've learned not to let anything you say bother me anymore. I will say this though; when its time for you to die, you will not be questioning my strength."

"Really now?" Itachi chuckled. "How noble you are, Sasuke, to sacrifice your body as a puppet in order to ensure my demise."

"Don't talk to me about being noble!!!" despite his words earlier, Sasuke now sounded angry. "What do you know about being noble?! You murdered our family for no reason at all and left me alive!!"

"Do not presume to know about my motives, Sasuke. But surely…you are truly a hypocrite now."

"What did you say?!"

"You hate me with all your heart for what I did. Yet you held no qualms in raping some hapless girl and getting her pregnant. What makes you think you're any better than me? You've certainly stooped to such low in order to get your revenge. Ah, little brother…truly you take after me in every sense, though I've never had to rape a woman."

"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Rarely did I ever hear Sasuke sound so furious. It sounded like the two Uchiha brothers started fighting and the house shook violently again. If I hadn't been holding the bars so tightly I would've collapsed. But it did send me off balance and I slammed into the wall hard. This time, I couldn't cover my scream of pain and it echoed outside.

"Ah, it seems your little whore's getting caught up in this," said Itachi, though it sounded very far away. "Don't you care about your bastard?"

"KEEP QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" roared Sasuke. So much for keeping his cool.

The house gave another violent lurch and I was slammed into the wall again. Despite it all, I never lost my grip on the bars. It allowed me to properly brace myself against the wall. I took several deep breaths, trying to fight down my panic. These idiots might bring the entire fucking house down while I'm going through labor!!!

I shifted my foot and realized I was standing in a puddle of water. Horrified, I looked down to see my legs and shorts were soaked. My water broke and I didn't even realize it!!!

"…I think it's time I go," said Itachi. "You seem more intent to fight than talk, and fighting was not my intention here."

"You're not going anywhere!!!" yelled Sasuke.

Jesus, was I fucking invisible?!?!

Itachi seemed to read my mind. "Don't you have more important items to take care of other than killing me? Your harlot's going through labor as we speak."

So he knew about it all this time and didn't say a word?!

"I'd stay and help, but I don't have a clue as to how to deliver a baby. But congratulations in advance, Sasuke."

I slowly let go of the bars and my hands slid down the wall. I rested my forehead against the wall, trying to control my breathing. What was I suppose to do?

I heard nothing else outside, and the feeble crackling sounded like the fire was going out. That was some measure of relief.

Thunderous foosteps echoed throughout the house. Very slowly, I turned my head towards the door in time to see it fly off its hinges.


	10. Part 9

Part 9

I don't really have the words to describe how I felt when Sasuke stepped through the doorway. It was the same when I saw him for the first time after all those years.

"_Sakura, is it?"_

He wasn't dressed so leisurely today. He was dressed in black from head to toe and in full ninja gear. He'd definitely come looking for a fight.

I had a shroud of hope when I lay eyes upon him. He came all the way out here—wherever he was—to save me from Itachi.

But that hope quickly died when I looked into his eyes. They were as unfeeling and cold as before.

Sasuke looked at me for a long moment in silence. I almost wanted to throttle him where he stood.

Then he spoke. "Are you in labor?"

I thought it was painfully obvious, but he seemed to want to hear it from me. I couldn't think of lying to him, so I just jerked my head in a nod.

His eyes narrowed. "Then why are you standing up? Hurry up and lie down!!"

He walked towards me and reached out to me. But I shied away from him, sliding against the wall to stay away. "…Why are you here?"

Abruptly, Sasuke dropped his hand. "Do I really need to answer that question?"

"Is it because of Itachi?"

His eyes darkened and he looked away momentarily. "I'm not ready to face him. But he's threatened my kid, so I can't just stand back."

"_My kid."_ He said it so simply, like he did everything else. A cold knot grew in my chest. I didn't expect him to openly acknowledge what he did to me.

"How do you even know she's yours?" I said recklessly. "You know how popular I am, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke glared at me. "I'm not an idiot, Sakura. True, you've always been popular, but I don't see you just sleeping with one of your admirers. That, and…" He moved closer. "It's been nine months since we…saw each other."

Another contraction hit me hard, knocking the wind out of me. If I hadn't been leaning against the wall I would've collapsed. But I forced myself up even before it passed and glared at him. "Why did you do it? No matter what my feelings are for you, you still drugged me. What you did was just so…random. Why did you do it?"

His frozen expression broke momentarily to show discomfort before it froze back into place. "I'm not going to tell you."

"WHAT?!?!" I screamed. "Why the hell not?!"

"Because it's not your business to know so."

"_Why don't you ever tell me anything?!"_

"_Why should I tell you anything?"_

"You fucking raped me!!! I have EVERY reason to know why!!!!"

Sasuke shrugged slightly. "You'll understand in time. It wasn't something that was my decision anyways—"

"Not your decision?!" I demanded. My anger was overcoming my fear and even the contractions. "What then?! Were you _ordered _to do it or something?!"

Sasuke said nothing, but his silence was condemning. I felt like the floor caved in underneath me. The hurt returned, blurring my eyes with tears. To think some morbid part of me wished Sasuke was my baby's father. And he was. But now it seemed like it was something he did at the bequest of somebody else. Just an order…that's all it was.

The impossible happened. My anger towards Sasuke overflowed and exploded. Screaming, I launched myself away from the wall, armed with nothing but my fists. Sure, I'd engage Sasuke in combat before, but not like this.

Unfortunately, being heavily pregnant and going through labor isn't exactly winning factors in a fight. I only had time to throw a few punches at him (all of which missed) when I was hit with another nasty contraction. As I reeled from the pain, Sasuke grabbed my wrists in one hand and used the other to scoop me up. I struggled nevertheless, but it did nothing to him as he carried me over to my thin futon and unceremoniously dropped me onto it. The sudden impact on the floor had my head spinning for a few moments, but it was enough time for Sasuke to pull my shorts off.

"Do you think you can sit up and cooperate, or will I have to chain you up?" he asked hotly. He looked about the room and spotted the pitcher, bowl, and towels. He retrieved them and brought them over.

"Why are you here?" I demanded again, tears spilling out of my eyes. "I don't need you!!! I'm perfectly capable of delivering a baby on my own!!"

"Sakura, just shut up and sit up!!!" he snapped, pushing my legs apart. "How long have you been having contractions?"

I glared at him, even as I managed to pull myself up. When I didn't answer him, Sasuke glared right back at me. "Seriously, don't give me this shit now. If you don't cooperate, our child could be in trouble."

"Like you care ANYTHING about her!!!" I snapped. Wow, this was a first. Even as official enemies I'd never talked to Sasuke like this.

"Sakura." The warning tone was subtle, but it was there.

I was in too much to really give a damn. "All right, _fine_. It's been going on this morning. How much am I dilated? If it's 8-10 cm, then I'm in transition."

"Why don't I whip out a ruler and find out?" said Sasuke sarcastically, reluctantly checking. "How many hours did you say?"

"I don't have a fucking watch!!!"

Sasuke sighed heavily. "Look, this is going to be a huge waste of time if you don't work with me here. I've never delivered a baby before and we aren't exactly in a safe environment to begin with. I know you don't want him to die, but he will if you keep being stubborn like this."

I saw his point, albeit unwillingly. I'm sure if all he wanted was my baby he could've cut me open and taken her that way. But he was going to help me deliver her.

I still didn't trust him, though.

"…Have you ever seen a birth?"

"…No. But Orochimaru made me read some books so I have some knowledge."

"Did you come here on orders, too?" I asked wearily.

"No," said Sasuke. "I would've come sooner, but Orochimaru felt it wasn't a good idea. Then he relented, but I left before he deployed other Sound ninja with me."

So he really was the only one there. That was a _huge_ relief. It was hard enough delivering her with Sasuke here, but if other Sound were here, it would've been a nightmare.

It didn't get rid of my unease any. "And what are you going to do with her once she's born?"

Sasuke stilled. "…It's a girl?" it came out barely a whisper, I almost didn't hear it.

"No," I admitted. "I don't know yet. But I think it's a girl."

Sasuke sat there motionless for a few moments, not looking at me. Finally, he simply shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn't matter anyhow." He started rolling up his sleeves.

His utter detachment from the situation was incredibly hurtful. But I didn't have time to let it get to me; I had other things to worry about.

I won't waste too many words on what my experience was delivering my first child. Nothing I'd seen or heard even remotely compares to the event. God…and it was even worse out there in the middle of nowhere, without the reassurance of a sterile hospital room or doctors.

Sasuke wasn't helping matters. He assisted me in this without complaint or cruelty. I found out quickly what the purpose of the bowel, pitcher, and towels were; every so often he coated his arms with water and cleaned them. I was amazed Itachi even thought to keep this room prepared for this, even if he didn't intend to deliver my baby.

Despite this, he remained cold and relatively distant from me. He barely batted an eyelash whenever I screamed in pain and he prodded me to continue when I ready to pass out.

"I don't think I can do this," I sobbed, trying to properly lie back down.

"Yes, you can," said Sasuke matter-of-factly.

It felt worse than circumstances with strangers.

I don't know how much time passed; it didn't really matter to me at the time. But when I finally gathered some of my wits, the room was shrouded in darkness. Sasuke had produced a flame from somewhere and continued to coldly push me along.

It wasn't too long after this that I couldn't take it anymore. I ripped at my blankets and sobbed in frustration. "Sasuke-kun!! I don't want to do this anymore!!"

"Sakura—"

"No!!" I shook my head frantically. "I don't want to!! I can't deal with this, I don't want to!!!" I probably sounded like a big baby, but I didn't care. "I don't think I can do this!!! What am I doing?! I'm just a teenager!!!" my sobs became hysterical. "I'm not supposed to have a child yet!! I can't do this…"

I couldn't talk anymore and just collapsed in a heap, sobbing hysterically. I was wasting a lot of my strength, but I didn't feel like doing this anymore.

A cold, damp hand touched my forehead. "Sakura. Please stop this. You _can _do this. I've never known you to be a quitter. M—our child needs you now. Please pull through for him."

I was speechless. Compared to how he'd been talking to me throughout this, his tone was very soft. Almost…gentle.

My eyes shot open and I looked at him. To my dismay his dark eyes stared right back at me without the slightest hint of emotion.

But he didn't speak to me like that. I knew I heard _some_ emotion there. That gave me a little hope.

Somehow, his scarce encouraging words were enough for me. I used the bar that my wrists had been chained to days before as leverage as I began to focus on pushing. It didn't think about giving up or on the pain; I just focused on her.

_I can do this, I can do this, I CAN DO THIS!!!!_

"I think I see a head," said Sasuke, looking reluctantly. "I can't tell." It seemed like his calm was gone, but maybe not.

"What?! Let me see!!"

Sasuke stared blankly at me. "How?"

"Never mind." It was almost over. I don't think I'd ever been so relieved.

It didn't make the remaining minutes any easier, though. If anything, it was even more painful. I thought it really _wouldn't _end.

I think I past out, because I was suddenly startled awake by a shrill cry. It scared me and at the same time filled with something…I can't really describe it.

My eyes snapped open and I sat up as best as I could. Sasuke was still sitting there, but in his arms…in his arms…

"She's all right," he said slowly, retrieving the last clean towel. "You were right…it's a girl."

His voice wasn't cold anymore, full of wonderment. Even his frozen mask had faded, now showing a stunned expression. But I wasn't focused on him. He turned her towards me and I saw her. My daughter.

I choked, and then started crying. "Give her to me."

I didn't think Sasuke could refuse me, and he didn't. Very carefully, he placed her into my arms. I was stunned by how warm and heavy she felt in my arms, but I snuggled her close. She was still wailing and I tried to hush her, still feeling overwhelmed.

She didn't cry for too long. She managed to calm down, her puffy little face relaxing. She was so tiny, so warm, so perfect…

I hugged her closer to me, fresh tears spilling out. "She…she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!!!"

Sasuke remained silent, and that immediately drew my attention. I calmed down enough to stare at him, but I didn't like the look on his face.

I knew then I wasn't safe. Neither of us were. Sasuke was my enemy and this whole…thing happened because of him.

"What are you going to do, Sasuke-kun?" I asked very quietly. "I don't have the strength to fight you. But I'll protect my daughter with my life."

Sasuke looked at me directly. My stomach twisted up in knots. I would've taken his earlier calm for this look. He looked remorseful…guilty.

I shook my head quickly. "You'd better not be planning to take us to Orochimaru. That bastard isn't coming anywhere near her!!"

Sasuke continued in his silence. But he started to move closer to me.

It was then that my exhaustion became apparent to me. My eyes fell shut because I no longer had the strength to keep them open. And if I lacked _that_, then I knew we were in danger.

"Sasuke-kun, please…" now I was pleading. But it was the only thing I could do. "Please don't…don't take her…don't take us to Orochimaru."

"Sakura." A pause. "I'm sorry."

Something soft brushed against my forehead. And then nothing at all.


	11. Part 10

I'm very sorry for the delay. Finals have come and gone and I had to write _seven_ essays total for all my classes. Thank God that's over!!

I'd also like to thank Blue Moiraine Sedai, aka UchihaFanz, for the lovely fanart they drew for this fanfic. You can see it here (without the spaces): ht t p // w ww . d e v ia n t a r t .c o m / d ev i a t i on / 5 4 6

53 3 3 1 /? q o 5& q by 3 Au c h i h af a n z & qh s o r t 3 A

t im e + - in 3 A s c ra p s

Part 10

I hear…crying. Who's crying?

My body feels so heavy. But it's no wonder. I'm sure any new mother feels this way.

Wait…mother?! My daughter!!!

I opened my eyes. Everything is black all around me. I can't hear anything but the crying.

I turn my head. There she was. She was laying nearby wrapped in a bright white blanket. I couldn't see anything but a puffy little hand, clenching and unclenching helplessly.

What was I doing? My daughter was crying!!!

I tried to sit up. But my body was paralyzed. I couldn't move. All I could do was feebly reach out to her.

But each time I tried, she seemed to slide further and further away from me.

"Tsubaki," I gasped, straining with all my might to reach her.

Then it happened. Arms shot out of the darkness like slithering snakes and scooped her up. I saw the face beyond those arms and wanted to scream.

"What a lovely daughter you have, Sakura," said Orochimaru coolly, holding Tsubaki up in front of him for a closer look.

"Put her down," I demanded.

Orochimaru looked over at me. "Oh, are you still here?"

"PUT HER DOWN!!!!!!!" I shrieked, struggling furiously to get over to them.

"Don't be making demands now. You're no longer any use to us. Isn't that right, Sasuke-kun?"

To my growing horror, Sasuke appeared beyond Orochimaru. He stared at me impassively and didn't even look at our daughter.

"We'll be taking her now," said Orochimaru cheerfully, cradling Tsubaki to him. "Thank you for all your…help, Sakura."

And just like that, they were gone.

---

I didn't realize I woke up screaming, or that I was even awake, until a pair of hands grabbed my shoulders roughly. "Sakura!!!"

I blinked several times until I could focus on the face in front of me. "…Ino?"

It _was_ Ino. She looked terrified and annoyed all at the same time.

"Take a few deep breaths," she said, simulating the breaths for me. She loosened her grip on my shoulders. "You're safe, Sakura."

"Wha…" I was positively stunned. I was expecting some dark chamber in wherever Orochimaru's hideout was.

I wasn't expecting Ino. And I certainly wasn't expecting to be in a hospital room in Konoha.

Suddenly, I was overcome with panic. I grabbed Ino by her collar. "Where—"

"Calm down," she interrupted, shaking her head as she pulled my hands free. "You don't have to worry. Tsubaki-chan's all right."

I fell back against the headboard. "Thank God." A thought came to me and I sat back up. "Wait, how did you know her name's Tsubaki?"

Ino laughed as she stood up. "That's what you've been mumbling in your sleep for the past few days."

"Days?! How long was I asleep?!"

"Two days. Hokage-sama says it's not uncommon in young mothers with their first pregnancy." Ino stood in front of a hospital crib just a few feet away. I hadn't noticed it there before. "Ah, she's awake!!" She reached down and picked up Tsubaki. "Who's a good little girl? Miss your Mommy, huh?"

I was very eager to hold my daughter. I became _very_ impatient as Ino carried her over to me.

"Here you are," she said, carefully laying Tsubaki in my arms. "She's so adorable, Sakura. And…" a brief look of pain crossed Ino's face. "She helps diffuse any doubts."

I glanced at her. "Doubts?"

Ino smiled painfully. "Well…look at her. She's very obviously Sasuke-kun's daughter."

I looked down at Tsubaki and choked on my breath. In that darkened house I hadn't been able to see her properly. Now I could, and…she was beyond anything I might've expected.

I saw Ino's point, though. As someone who prided herself on knowing everything about Uchiha Sasuke, Tsubaki certainly looked more like him than me. Sure, her nose and face shape looked enough like mine, but everything else was clearly Sasuke. From her small forehead to the puff of bluish black hair on top of her head, she was definitely Sasuke's daughter.

Then she finally opened her eyes and I was overwhelmed. Her eyes were dark, but there was a mix of green in there too. Dark blue-green eyes.

This was my daughter. The circumstances by which she came into existence were painful to think about, but she was here.

She was_ mine_.

But this still didn't make any sense to me. The last thing I remembered was being in that house with Sasuke.

"What happened?" I said finally. "How did we get here?" Even though I spoke to Ino, my eyes were on Tsubaki.

"Hokage-sama said she'd explain everything," said Ino. She sat down on the side of the bed and plucked at the blanket. "Sakura, can I ask you something?"

I looked at her. "What?"

"Why did you lie to me about Tsubaki? Why didn't you just tell me Sasuke-kun fathered your child?" she wasn't looking at me. "I mean, we have our differences but couldn't you trust me?"

"I…" I didn't know how to answer her.

"I know Hokage-sama ordered you to not say anything and I know Tsubaki's security matters above all else. But…I'm still hurt. Something so serious…I could've kept it a secret."

"…I'm sorry," I said finally. Mostly because I had nothing else to say. "I didn't know what else to do. This pregnancy wasn't planned and I felt she was in danger. Although…" I looked back down at Tsubaki. "Now that we know Sasuke-kun is her father, she really _is _in danger."

"Sakura—"

Before Ino could finish, my hospital room door slammed over and Tsunade swept inside. With about thirty other people.

"I see you're awake," she said briskly. Her eyes fixed on Ino. "I thought I made it clear I was to be informed immediately the minute she woke up?"

Ino winced and bent her head. "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama."

"It's all right, really," I said hastily, not wanting a huge scene.

Tsunade pulled up a chair and took a seat next to my bed. "I realize you've just been through an ordeal, but I need you to—"

"Let me see!!!" yelled Naruto, almost knocking Tsunade off her chair and Ino off the bed in his haste. "They wouldn't let me see you two before!!! Let me hold her!!"

"Calm down!!" I snapped, hugging Tsubaki almost protectively. "Do you even know how to hold a baby?!"

"Of course I do!!" As if to prove his point, Naruto snatched her from my arms. He held her up high, his arms tucked into her armpits. That _definitely _wasn't the right way to hold a newborn. He made a face. "I don't know what the hell everyone's blabbering about!! She doesn't look ANYTHING like Sasuke!!!"

He wasn't the only one eager to see Tsubaki. Most everyone I graduated with _and _Lee's team pressed closer to get a good look, all of them talking rather loudly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lee hanging back awkwardly. I knew I would have to talk to him about this.

"_Excuse _me," said Sai, literally knocking Naruto off his feet. He held my baby properly, but I was still uncomfortable. "Tsk, tsk, what a shame. I was hoping for an improvement, but it seems she inherited your ugliness."

A growl rumbled from deep within my throat. I surged forward, ready to attack Sai, when Tsunade took command.

"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The talking died instantly. Tsubaki started to cry. Kakashi picked her out of Sai's arms and gave her back to me.

"Thank you," said Tsunade curtly. She turned back to me. "As I was saying before I was _rudely _interrupted, I know you just went through a horrible time. But I need to know _exactly_ what happened to you while you were held captive."

I felt ill all of a sudden. I didn't entirely know what was going on, either. But I knew Tsunade wasn't going to start until I told my end of the story.

I gently soothed my daughter and rather quietly recounted what had happened the past week. Tsunade and Kakashi could hear me clearly enough as they were the closest to me, but everyone else pressed closer to hear what I was saying.

There wasn't much to be said, but it hurt to talk. I was glad when it was over.

"Sasuke came after you?!" cried Naruto, his eyes wide disbelievingly.

"Are you sure it was Sasuke?" asked Tsunade calmly.

I nodded. "He confronted Itachi first. When Itachi fled he came inside and helped me deliver my baby."

"Did he identify Tsubaki as his?"

I nodded mutely.

"But this doesn't make any sense," said Sai, looking positively confused. "If that was really Sasuke, when why didn't he take you back to Orochimaru with him?"

"What exactly _did_ happen?" I demanded. "I have no idea what's going on?"

"Well…" Kakashi grabbed a stool and sat down. "When Itachi arrived here, he sent out a few clones to distract us. It was something we expected, but we made a mistake in signaling out one of the clones as being him. It had more chakra than the others, so we assumed it was him.

"By the time we realized it was a fake, the real one had already reached you. There wasn't a lot we could do; you were unconscious and he was holding onto you, and Tenten was caught in the Tsukuyomi—"

"Tenten-san!!!" I suddenly screamed. I was overcome with guilt. Not once during my captivity did I think about her. She did so much to save me and I had forgotten about what Itachi did to her. "Is she all right?!?! Or…"

"I'm all right, Sakura-san." A soft voice came from the doorway.

Heads quickly turned in that direction. Relief flooded me as I saw Tenten standing there. She was wearing hospital robes, her hair was down, and her face was very pale. But she was smiling a little.

Gai immediately walked over to her. "You shouldn't be walking around, Tenten. Go back your room and rest."

Tenten shrugged a little. "I heard Sakura-san was awake and I wanted to check on her." She glanced over at me. "Are you all right, Sakura-san?"

"I-I'm fine," I said. "Please, go and rest."

"She is right, Tenten-san," said Lee dramatically, running over to her. "You are still recovering!!"

"I know. But I really am feeling better—"

"Just go," said Neji curtly. "You still aren't one hundred percent. It's still very lucky you snapped out of the Tsukuyomi with your mind intact. Now go rest."

Tenten waved a hand. "All right, all right I'm going. I'll see you all later." She smiled at me. "I want to see Tsubaki-chan later, Sakura-san, if that's okay."

I nodded. "Of course it is."

Tenten left, but Gai seemed a little suspicious.

"Neji!!!" He shoved his finger right in Neji's face. "Go make sure she actually goes back to her room!!!!"

"I doubt she's doing something as stupid as training in her conditon," he grumbled, though he headed for the door. "She's not Lee."

"I resent that!!!" yelled Lee, pumping his fists. "Do you challenge me, Neji-san?!?!"

But Neji was already out the door.

"Anyways," said Tsunade, picking up where Kakashi left off. "We found you with Itachi. He announced to us that Sasuke was in fact Tsubaki's father. We didn't believe him, but he said her chakra was Uchiha. Then he did something we wouldn't expect of him; he caused a lot of reckless damage, all the while loudly announcing Tsubaki's paternity."

"I already know this," I said. "What happened after that?"

"Unfortunately, we made the mistake in looking for covered trails. We didn't think Itach would deliberately leave a trail; another thing that's not his general style. It took us a few days to find the open trail, and that was when we realized he did it deliberately so Sasuke would find him."

"And then what happened?"

"We found a house in the mountains that was partially destroyed," said Kakashi. "a battle had clearly took place. It looked deserted, but then we heard a baby crying. We quickly found Tsubaki and you in a secured room. You were unconscious and Tsubaki was in your arms. It didn't look like you gave birth by yourself but it appears you two hadn't been by yourselves for long."

My jaw dropped. Sasuke _left us there_?! He didn't even TRY to take us away?! I was so sure that was what his intentions were?!

But he just left us?! VOLUNTARILY?!?!

It didn't make _any_ sense.

I forced myself to talk. "…Are you sure no one else was there?"

"Yes," said Kakashi. He patted my shoulder. "Like I said, it felt like someone had just left, but yes, you two were the only ones there."

"I…" I looked at Tsunade. "Sasuke-kun came there for Tsubaki. I could understand if he just left me, but why would he leave Tsubaki?"

Tsunade shrugged. "I can't read that boy's mind. Maybe he heard the ninja coming and didn't want to risk a confrontation. Maybe he _didn't_ want to take Tsubaki. Who knows?"

"_Sakura__. I'm sorry."_

I didn't know what to think.

"There's a lot more to discuss," said Tsunade, standing up. "But that's enough for today. Everyone out."

"Hang on, Tsunade-sensei," I said. "I wanna talk to Lee-san."

Lee looked surprised at this. Naruto ran over to my bed. "Awww, Sakura-chan!! Don't you wanna talk with me?!"

"Get rid of some that energy and check back with me!!!" I barked, forcefully shoving him away.

Everyone started slowly shuffling out of my room. Ino stopped before leaving and gave me a quick hug. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ask you those questions."

"It's all right." I patted her on the back.

"We'll be by to see you later," promised Kakasi, patting me on the shoulder.

"Just as long as I don't have to look at the baby," said Sai cheerfully.

"…Nice kid," said Shikamaru in a bored tone.

Soon, the room was empty. Lee still hung back a little bit, looking away.

"Don't you wanna hold my daughter?" I asked. "After all, you were her surrogate father for six months."

Lee laughed nervously, running a hand through his head. After a few more moments, he walked over to my bed and took a seat. He accepted Tsubaki into his arms a bit awkwardly, but I showed him how to properly hold her.

"…She _does _look like Sasuke-san," he said finally. He glanced at me. "Of course, she looks a great deal like you, Sakura-san."

I smiled a little. "Thanks."

"It is ironic…all this time you have called her your daughter while everyone else called her your son."

I laughed. "I know!! When I found out she was a girl I was thinking _I knew it, I knew it_!! Mother's intuition always wins out!!!"

Lee smiled. Very gently, he ran his fingers through Tsubaki's hair. "I am very happy you are safe. Both of you. I do not want anything to happen to Tsubaki-san."

"Neither do I, Lee-san. I'm sure everyone's going to do their best to make sure Orochimaru or whoever else wants her won't get her."

Lee was silent for a long time. He just stared down at Tsubaki, his eyes sad. It broke my heart to see him like this.

"…Sakura-san?" it came out soft.

"Yes?"

"I have something I need to tell you."

I nodded, quietly bracing myself. "About what?"

"I…I think I made a mistake in pretending to be Tsubaki-san's father. I-I knew that it was all for her safety. But…

"But…I am afraid…I have become attached to her." He closed his eyes. "I do not think I should have seen that sonogram of her. I have never seen a baby that way, and…" his voice started to tremble.

Tears started filling my eyes. "Lee-san—"

"I would have liked to have become her father. I swore I would protect her with my life. I knew with how you became pregnant, Sakura-san, that her father did not have good intentions. Knowing that Sasuke-san is her father has not changed my mind. But…I know it has changed the situation."

I covered my mouth, tears leaking out.

"I am sorry." He opened his eyes and looked at me. "I am being unfair. I know you do not feel the same way I feel for you. And I can tell you are uncertain how to approach this situation with Sasuke-san. I will not ask you to do something you are not comfortable with."

"Lee-san…" I hid my face in my hand. I really _wasn't_ ready to deal with this situation. It would be easy to say that I wanted nothing to do with Sasuke and I never wanted him around Tsubaki.

But matter what, no matter what he did to me and why he did it, I _wasn't_ feeling that way. I was conflicted about it and it terrified me.

"But I promise you this." Lee reached out and touched my free hand. "That my vow has not changed. I swore to protect Tsubaki-san and you and I will continue to do so until I die."

I looked at him briefly before I threw my arms around his neck.

"Sakura-san!!"

"I'm sorry!!" I sobbed, hugging him so tightly. "I'm so sorry, Lee-san!!!" Now that Tsubaki was born, I could see just how much all of this had hurt everyone. Even more so in how it hurt Lee. I knew as the months counted down how much he would've liked to be Tsubaki's father. I had chosen to know acknowledge it. Even now he wasn't crying over it but I knew how hurt he was.

Lee hugged me as best as he could with Tsubaki in his arms. "Do not apologize, Sakura-san. None of this is your fault. Please do not cry. Look, Tsubaki-san wants you to stop."

I dislodged myself enough to look down at my daughter. She looked up at me with her beautiful eyes. I smiled in spite of myself and reached out for her. One of her arms slowly rose up, her tiny hand curling around one of my fingers. The sight helped calm me down and I managed a laugh.

"There now," said Lee cheerfully. "Do you feel better, Sakura-san?"

"A little," I said. I took Tsubaki back into my arms. "Thank you for everything, Lee-san."

"Oh, it was nothing—"

"I don't think I would've gotten through those months all by myself. You helped me so much and got nothing in return."

Lee shrugged his shoulders. "Tsubaki-san and you are healthy and safe for the time being. Nothing else matters."

Tears sprung back into my eyes, but I kept myself under control. I leaned back over and kissed him on the cheek. He immediately went rigid.

"Thank you," I said cheerfully.

That didn't seem to help matters. His whole face went red and his body started shaking. I was about to ask what was wrong when he gave a loud 'WHOOP' and shot to his feet. Yelling incoherently, he ran in circles very quickly around the room. I didn't know if he was happy or angry. I just sat there, staring stunned at this spectacle.

"OI, LEE!!!!" Gai kicked the door in and rushed in. He punched Lee in the face as he ran past, causing him to fly into the opposite wall. "Restraint!!! Don't cause Tsubaki-chan distress!!!"

Lee recovered from the blow and immediately started crying. "I am sorry!!! I did not mean to disrupt Tsubaki-san!!! I am just too happy!!!"

"Um—" I said.

Gai started bawling too. "It's all right, Lee!!! It shows how much of a man you are!!!" They clutched each other while sobbing hysterically.

I stared blankly at them. I guess they didn't consider this sort of noise might distress Tsubaki.

"So this is Uchiha Sasuke's child?"

I jumped and I quickly turned my head. Neji had taken the chair next to the bed, his eyes on Tsubaki.

"…Yes," I said hesitantly. I remembered Tenten's words about Neji possibly knowing Tsubaki's paternity.

"I suspected as much," he said, confirming what I had feared.

"You knew Tsubaki was Sasuke-kun's?" I asked quietly.

"Of course. I could clearly see her chakra, even in your womb. I had thought it was similar to Sasuke's when I first sensed it, and when I saw it I knew it was so."

"…Why didn't you ever tell me this?"

Neji shrugged unapologetically. "I only assumed you knew about it. Both Lee and Gai-sensei were making too big of a deal out of it. And I thought it was ingenius you chose Lee as a cover-up."

"I didn't know. Lee-san chose to stand in until we found out."

"And now you _do _know."

"Yes." I looked down at her. "And so does everyone else."

"I'm not going to lie," said Neji. "A lot of Konoha are…upset about another Uchiha. Very few speak of them after what the clan turned out to be. Talk is your daughter will bring more problems."

"I don't care," I snapped. "This isn't her fault anymore than it's mine. I will protect her with my life!! If anyone has _any_ problems with her, I dare them to challenge me to my face!!!"

"I never said I had a problem," said Neji. "But I could tell the others are dancing around the subject. I'm only warning you for when you get out of the hospital."

I took a deep breath and let it out. "All right. Thanks."

"It shouldn't be too bad. Even with all the uncertainties, you have Hokage-sama's support, plus the support of a lot of Jounin, Chuunin and teams."

I glanced over at Gai and Lee, who were still crying. "I know. No matter what, I'll protect Tsubaki from everything that threatens her."

_Even Sasuke-kun._


	12. Part 11

Part 11

_I'm never sleeping again._

That was the only coherent thought I could come up with when I awoke from a light sleep. My ears seemed trained now to the soft whimpering that would soon quickly evolve into loud cries.

"All right, I'm coming," I said sluggishly, pushing myself to my feet. I had been sprawled across my parent's bed facedown, having nearly fallen asleep on my feet when I last came in here. I felt like crying when I saw the alarm. 3:24 a.m. It had only been three hours since I last tended to her.

"Okay, okay," I murmured, stumbling over to the crib. Tsubaki hadn't started sobbing yet, but I wanted to avoid that by any means possible. Very carefully, I lifted her into my arms. "All right, now…are you hungry? Do you need a new diaper?"

Reading a baby was like trying to read a cat. When they fussed I had no idea why. But at least with a baby I could tell if they needed a change of diaper. Luckily for me, Tsubaki didn't. Which either meant she was hungry or wanted attention.

I squeezed my eyes shut and forced them open again as I carried her downstairs. Then again, her gurgling and crying in my ear was enough to keep me awake.

It'd only been two weeks since the both of us were discharged from the hospital. While in the hospital it had been so easy to take care of her; the nurses often helped me with her and took her off my hands to have time to myself. Foolishly, I had wondered why people complained about children.

_It's not so hard,_ I had thought.

Famous last words.

Now out of the hospital, I was her sole caretaker. Then again, I was a little hesitant to let her out of my sight. But in between tending to her every need all day and night, I hadn't gotten a full night of sleep. I was glad I was still on maternity leave, but still…

I put her in the seat on top of the table, though she continued to fuss. I quickly washed my hands and set about preparing her formula. It'd been a real hassle when I first tried making it, but now I could do it even with my eyes closed.

It only took about three minutes, but by the time the formula was ready Tsubaki was completely bawling. It was a struggle to maintain calm as I started feeding her. I didn't know how I managed to keep hold on my temper up to that point. This constant cycle was giving me the strong urge to hit someone.

Thankfully, Tsubaki calmed down when she was finished. I still couldn't get how much a baby could eat. I'd just fed her three hours before; wasn't that enough to last the night?

As I put the bottle back in the sink, I was startled to have Tsubaki lifted out of my arms. I quickly turned, suddenly remembering we weren't alone in the house.

"Did you feed her?" asked Neji solemnly. He was probably getting as much sleep as I was, yet he didn't look the least bit tired.

"…Yeah," I said uncomfortably. On my first night home I was alone with Tsubaki and the stress got to me quickly. My friends decided to volunteer to spend some time with me to help me take care of her. I had been surprised that Neji had arrived that night to be the next helping hand. Of course, he flatly told me he was doing it as a favor to Lee, who'd stayed over the past three nights and was presumably beyond exhausted. I was too tired to be too offended by his words, but I was still uncomfortable around him.

"I'll burp her for you." It was quite a sight to see this well-known genius hefting a baby over his shoulder. But his expression didn't change, even after he started padding Tsubaki on the back.

A sudden thought struck me. "Wait!! You need a towel—"

Too late. Tsubaki gave a loud burp and Neji immediately stiffened. I looked around his back and burst out laughing. His shoulder and upper half of his back was covered in gunk.

"Here," he said, quickly handing Tsubaki over. With a trembling hand he reached back to see what hit him. When he saw it his eyes widened and his face turned red.

"I'm sorry," I said, handing over the aforementioned towel. "I should've warned you sooner. Babies have a habit of puking…a lot." It reminded me of when Naruto was over a week ago and he became overzealous in his playing with Tsubaki. She puked all over his face; I was still laughing twenty minutes later.

"…I'll keep that in mind," said Neji, his voice relatively calm. He furiously wiped away the vomit. "Can I use your shower?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I'm going back to bed anyways." Embarrassed but still giggling, I left Neji and headed back upstairs. Tsubaki was unaffected by what she did; she'd already fallen asleep.

When I put her back into her crib, I became aware yet again of how tired I was. Indeed, it seemed like it would be a _long_ time before I got a full-night's rest.

"Just stay asleep the rest of the night, please?" I begged my daughter, tucking her in. "Give me at least four to five hours?"

Alas, I was up less than two hours later to change her diaper.

---

I never noticed the charm of coffee until I had a baby. I wasn't a big coffee drinker to begin with and it had been listed to avoid while I was pregnant.

But now…now that I was getting about four hours of sleep a night, coffee was my new best friend.

"I heard about what happened with Neji this morning," said Kakashi cheerfully, taking a seat across from me. I didn't let him in but…oh well.

"I didn't think he'd tell anyone," I said, swallowing a mouthful of coffee and rocking Tsubaki in her seat.

"Oh, he didn't. Gai noticed his clothes were rather dirty and came to conclusions."

"Hmm."

Kakashi glanced at Tsubaki. "How's she doing?"

"As far as I'm concerned she's doing all right. I'm still not use to motherhood; the amount of energy she has at night is driving me crazy."

"It'll grow on you." Awkwardly, Kakashi leaned over to rub one of Tsubaki's feet. "I don't have any children of my own, so there's not much advice I can give you. But I can help you if you need it, Sakura."

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei." I got up to get another cup of coffee.

"So, what are your plans today?"

"I'll be taking Tsubaki with me to go shopping." I poured the last of it in the pot into my cup. "I haven't done any grocery shopping in a while and I wanna get out of the house even for a little while."

Kakashi was silent for several long moments. I didn't really pay attention as I prepared my cup.

When he spoke, it surprised me. "…How about _I_ do the shopping for you, Sakura?"

"What?" I turned around, half-expecting him to be joke. But he looked serious. "Why?"

"I think it would be…better if I did it."

"_A lot of Konoha are…upset about another Uchiha."_

For some reason Neji's words rang through my head. Did it have to do with why Kakashi wanted to do my shopping?

I brushed it off quickly. What was the worse they could do to me? I wasn't a child who needed to be led around by the hand.

"I'll be all right," I assured him, forcing a smile. "Like I said, I wanna get outside for a little bit."

"But—"

"And aren't you late already to meet Naruto and Sai? It wouldn't be nice to keep them waiting longer."

Kakashi didn't respond for a while as he contemplated my words. I just retook my head and fussed over Tsubaki.

"…All right," he said finally. "But you watch out, all right?"

"Sure. What's the worse that could happen?"

Obviously not the worse, but something pretty close.

After Kakashi left, I couldn't help but wonder why he was going to such lengths to try to protect us. Was it really to protect us? Or was it because of Sasuke? I didn't know. I would like to think Kakashi was being overprotective, but I also knew he hardly ever paid attention to me compared to my other teammates. Particularly Sasuke.

_What difference does it make? He's looking out for you, isn't he?_

I left it at that.

About an hour later it was time for us to go. I nestled Tsubaki in her stroller, making sure she was comfortable and content. I also packed away a few diapers, grimly remembering a walk we took a few days before. She'd used the diaper and I didn't bring any extras, resulting in me carrying her all the way home, stinky diaper and all.

"Here we go," I said as we departed. I'm not going to lie; being a unwed teenager living alone with a baby makes you a little self-conscious. I'd like to say I swept outside proudly with my daughter, but I felt myself shrinking a little as I left my yard and pushed the stroller down the street.

It probably wouldn't have been so bad if people weren't staring at me.

I kept my focus on Tsubaki, who as usual was oblivious to what was going on around her. It made it a little easier to bear when people stopped to stare at me or whispered amongst themselves and openly pointed at me.

"_If anyone has any problems with her, I dare them to challenge me to my face!!!"_

I wish I felt as brave as I did when I said that.

Somehow, I made it to the market. And predictably, most conversations ceased when I walked by. But I ignored them as best as I could as I went and paid for my groceries. I had no problems with the vendors, though none of them looked me in the eye as I paid for my things.

I was starting to see how Naruto had felt all this time. I'd seen him being treated similarly his whole life, though I didn't face such hostilities. But it was irritating seeing these people, many of which had been happy for me during my pregnancy, to treat Tsubaki and I like we had the plague.

I was still irritated when we go home. The fact I felt relieved we got home safely was the last straw. Tsubaki began fussing, but I left her alone and took out my anger on my groceries. Why should I have to rush around and avoid everyone, just because of my daughter?! It was insane!! I lived here too!! I shouldn't have to stay cooped up in my house all day just because some assholes don't like looking at me!!

Once I'd calmed down somewhat, I decided to go back out. Looking for a change of attitude, I decided to drop by Ino's shop for a brief visit. But when I saw the flowers on display, I realized I hadn't been by to see Tenten in the hospital. Even if I was reasonably occupied all this time, I _did_ promise her she could hold Tsubaki.

"Looks like we're making some more stops," I told Tsubaki cheerfully, pushing her into the store.

"Sakura!!!" cried Ino, quickly rushing over to us. "Ah, you brought Tsubaki-chan with you!!!"

"I'm gonna go see Tenten in the hospital," I said, forcing a smile. I'd been hoping the shop would be empty, but there was a scatter of customers throughout the door, all looking at us. "So I'm buying her a flower."

"How very thoughtful!!" Ino swooped down and picked up Tsubaki straight out of her stroller. "Awww, she's so adorable!!!" An evil glint entered Ino's eye. "Is it true she puked all over Neji-san?"

I winced a little. "How'd you know about that?"

"Well…Shikamaru said he overheard Lee-san telling Tenten-san in the hospital that Neji-san's clothes were filthy last night."

My shoulders drooped. "Are we playing 'telephone', or something?"

"Go pick out your flower. I'm gonna play with Tsubaki-chan!!!" With that, she ran off towards the back of the store.

"What about your customers?!" I demanded. I didn't get an answer, of course. But I shrugged it off and went about looking for a flower. I wanted to make this as painless as possible.

"Did you see?"

"Of course. I guess she was right; that's an Uchiha child."

"To think there would be another Uchiha after all this time…poor family's cursed, I say."

"Well, the whole lot of them is dead. And the last two heirs are deserters and criminals now."

"How the mighty have fallen. I still can't believe we use to look upon them with reverence. Why didn't Hokage-sama do something about them before all that happened?"

"Well, he couldn't reject a household with a Kekkei Genkai as powerful as theirs. Besides, who could've predicted what the brothers would do?"

My hand paused over a camellia. I smiled at the irony of this flower; I didn't know they were in bloom. But in spite of myself, I couldn't help but overhear what the women were saying just a few feet from me. For one thing, I thought their assertions were unfair. Predicted what the _brothers _would do? It was Itachi who caused all those problems!!

"That whole team is full of bad luck, it seems. First, there's their sensei. Then the members…"

"Yes, I know. To have _that_ boy, an Uchiha, and now this girl with that…it's really unbelievable."

"Konoha will really be facing problems now because of this…Will both of them come here for this? It's not very safe with them around."

I lost my temper, then. I shot to my feet and stormed over to the women who were talking. Both of them jumped back a few feet. "Excuse me, but do you find something wrong with my daughter?!"

"Um…" both of their faces were bright red, having been caught. One of them carefully spoke up. "No…of course not, Sakura-san."

"Then _kindly _keeps your thoughts to yourself. By the way, her name's 'Tsubaki', _not_ 'that' or 'this'."

"Er…"

I walked away from them, still fuming. I snatched up the camellia just as Ino was coming back with Tsubaki. "Did you find—"

"Yes," I said curtly, taking Tsubaki from here. "We have to get going now."

"Um, okay." Ino obviously hadn't heard what happened. Even though no one was talking about us anymore (at least I didn't hear anything), everyone was still staring at us. I'd take that to whatever idiotic thoughts were swirling around in their heads.

"Here you go." Ino handed me my purchase. "Say hi to Tenten-san for me, okay?"

"No problem." I tried being a little nicer to her, but I still left the shop as quickly as possible.

I took several deep breaths to try to calm myself down. But it didn't help that there were still people staring at us. I glared murderously at them and they quickly looked away.

"We'll be all right," I said aloud, pushing the stroller in the direction of the hospital. "I know we'll be…"

"_How the mighty have fallen."_

I slowed down a little bit. As hurtful as their words were, I understood their point. Both Uchiha brothers were giving Konoha a hard time as it was. It was still hard for me to think about what Sasuke did, especially since he never gave me a reason _why _he did it.

"_Because it's not your business to know so."_

Not that that mattered anymore. I loved Tsubaki and would take care of her regardless of what happened in the past.

I looked down at her. She seemed happily snuggled in her stroller, her big eyes looking all around us. I'd been so afraid of rejecting her over what happened that I wouldn't be able to stand to look at her. Particularly since she resembled her father so greatly. But when I do look at her, I don't see what happened. I see my daughter, full of energy she didn't know how to use. A new whole to a family I lost...Even in the dead of night and beyond frustration, I look at her and am overcome with love.

"_Konoha will really be facing problems now because of this…"_

Of course we would. Sasuke acted on an order of Orochimaru, meaning Tsubaki was part of some plan of his. And Itachi had been very angry when he found out about another Uchiha. Neither party was going to leave us alone for long.

"We'll be all right," I repeated to myself, pushing the stroller again. "We _have_ to be all right."

Yes, we did. With Sound, Itachi, and most of Konoha wary of us, life would only get worse before it got better.


	13. Part 12

Part 12

Tenten was all smiles when she took Tsubaki into her arms. "Awww, what an adorable little girl!!"

"Thanks," I said as I propped the camellia in a vase by the window. "How are you doing?"

"I'm getting better. I think I can go home soon, but the hospital refuses to discharge me. I think they're afraid of any after-effects of the Tsukuyomi."

"Hmm." I took a seat by the bed. "I haven't really thanked you for risking your life like that—"

"I'm telling you it's no problem. You were pregnant, Sakura-san. Anyone would've done the exact same thing in my place."

I didn't know about that but I didn't bring it up.

"So…I heard Tsubaki-chan puked on Neji this morning."

"Yeah, but it was my fault," I laughed. "He was trying to help me out and she just…"

Tenten laughed. "I bet it made him really angry!! Lee said he was a little pissed when he arrived for training this morning!!"

"Well, he was polite about it…somewhat!!"

We both shared a laugh over this for a few moments. When we regained our composure, Tenten looked a little sullen.

"I'm…glad."

"Tenten-san?"

Tenten played idly with one of Tsubaki's feet. "I haven't laughed in a while. I haven't felt like laughing. The Tsukuyomi…I can't even describe it. Going through that was the most horrible experience of my life. I don't know why it's part of the Sharingon or why it even exists. I know it can be vital in winning a battle, but…I never want to wish that on anybody."

I said nothing because I didn't know what to say. She ended up caught in that spell because of me. But she didn't seem to resent me for it.

"But…but I'm feeling all right. It's been hard but I _am_ feeling better. Pretty soon I'll be able to return to training."

I smiled a little, deciding to deflect the conversation. "So…have you told your crush you like them?"

Tenten turned bright red. "S-Sakura-san!! I-this-it's-I—"

"I'll take that as a no. But you might as well tell them soon."

Tenten groaned and ducked her head. "I think he knows. I haven't seen him around lately so I think he's avoiding me."

"Oh, c'mon!! You've gotta tell him anyways!!"

"If he's already avoiding me, then—"

"If he'd avoiding you, just pin him to the wall!! You have amazing accuracy with weapons, right?!"

"Well…that could always work."

"All right!! The next time you see him, go for it!!"

"I-I don't know about that…"

---

It's selfish, but I wanted to be happy. I knew hardly anyone in Konoha accepted me or Tsubaki. But that didn't matter. Tsunade accepted us and so did my friends. I felt as long as I had that support I didn't need anything else.

…

…

…

But…deep down, I knew my current happiness wouldn't last. I knew it was impossible for me to ever carry out my life as I had before. Tsubaki was too important in the grand scheme of things and everyone had different plans for her.

I knew something was coming. But I couldn't anticipate exactly when.

---

"_You have to do something about this, you know?"_

Huh?

"_How long do you intend to leave her there?"_

Wait, what?

"_My patience is starting to thin. You agreed to this and to hand her over to me. Now I'm ready to claim my prize."_

That voice sounds familiar…

"_I told you not to become attached to her. You aren't, are you?"_

Who's speaking?

"_Then there's no reason for us to wait any longer, is there?"_

I don't know…

"_Very well. I'm ordering immediate preparations. I've allowed this to go on long enough. Not anymore."_

---

I opened my eyes slowly, staring up at the ceiling. My heart was beating wildly and I was cold all over.

What was that? I was sure I was sleeping.

I sat up and looked around the room. It was empty.

But it really seemed like a conversation had been going on around me. Well, a one-sided conversation; I only heard one voice.

That voice…my throat tightened. I leapt from my bed and ran out of my room. In a heartbeat I was in Tsubaki's room and at her crib.

She was lying there, awake but sucking on her teddy bear's ear.

I sighed in relief, falling to my knees next to the crib, my arms draped over the rails. She was still here…

Now that I was awake, I could place that voice in my dream. Orochimaru. I didn't know why I dreamt about him or his voice.

But I couldn't ignore it. It was too strange to be shrugged off as a nightmare.

I got to my feet and lifted Tsubaki into my arms, wincing at the unexpected weight. "Ugh…man, what am I feeding you?"

Tsubaki only gurgled, clutching at strands of my short hair with her hands and mouth. I laughed a little as I left the room and headed downstairs.

I almost couldn't believe that she was over three months old. Three months of relative peace…at least for Konoha. I knew I wasn't going to have _any_ peace until she turned 21. But it was peace…no Itachi and no Orochimaru to bug us.

That last thought made my stomach turn, but I ignored it for the time being.

Tsubaki laughed, tugging on my hair a little. This was the most peaceful I'd seen her in a while. It was a refreshing change from all the crying. I didn't know how I survived it.

I walked past my living room, trying to ignore the large space in front of my television where my couch use to be. My patience was slim at best, and a baby didn't help matters. One particular day I could not get Tsubaki to stop crying, no matter what I did. Food, play, comfort, and even a new diaper didn't work. She finally ended up exhausting herself with all her crying and put herself to sleep. My frustration got the better of me and I ended up beating the shit out of my couch.

After it lay in splinters, I became almost afraid of myself. If I was capable of such violence, what would happen the next time she fussed without restraint? I didn't want to think about it. I'd rather take having no couch to taking out all that anger on my daughter.

I set Tsubaki in her seat on the table and set about making her formula. Suddenly I jerked around, my eyes darting around the room. Periodically I felt the nagging sensation of someone watching me. It'd only been about two weeks since I told my friends they didn't have to stay over anymore, so now there was no excuse.

The weird dream came back to me then. Why _did_ I hear Orochimaru's voice? It didn't make any sense.

I looked at Tsubaki, who was completely oblivious to my turmoil. I didn't want Orochimaru to get her. I didn't want _anyone_ to get her.

But I didn't know how to protect her.

I finished making the formula and fed it to her. Even if it sounded stupid, I had to tell Tsunade about this. Maybe she could be more useful than I was.

---

Tsunade said nothing as I explained the situation to her. Tsubaki was sitting in my lap playing with a foam ball.

"…So what do you think?" I asked. "Am I being paranoid? Or is something about to happen?"

Tsunade was quiet for several long minutes and it quickly irritated me. Wasn't she taking me seriously?!

Finally, she turned and looked at Shizune. "This…can't be a coincidence."

"I agree," she said grimly, her eyes falling to Tsubaki.

"What 'coincidence'?!" I demanded.

Tsunade turned back to me. "We received a report early this morning that Sound was on the move."

"What?"

"…And it looks like they might be headed here."

"WHAT?!?!" I stood up, clutching Tsubaki to me. She began to whimper and I quickly tried to hush her.

"Do you think Orochimaru might have come in contact with Sakura?" asked Shizune.

"No," said Tsunade. "According to Sakura, Sasuke came to her on his orders. I think he might've been monitoring them without us realizing."

"Monitoring?!" I cried. "But how?!"

"He placed his mark on Sasuke. He'd been able to keep an eye on Sasuke's power in the past because of it. Perhaps because of this, and because Sasuke came into intimate contact with you, that he's able to keep an eye on you too."

I closed my eyes, hugging Tsubaki tighter. "Oh no…"

"If this is the case, I can't imagine him intentionally contacting her with a warning," said Shizune.

"Me either; it might've been an accident. Sakura, do you know who he was talking to you in your dream?"

"He didn't say a name…"

"_You agreed to this and to hand her over to me."_

"…But I think it was Sasuke-kun."

"That makes sense. If you two established a connection by proxy, it must've been amplified by Sasuke, the one who made the connection."

"He sounded like he wanted Tsubaki. I'm not handing her over to him!!"

"No one said you had to," said Tsunade. "I think it's within _everyone's _best interest that we keep Tsubaki as far away from Orochimaru as we can." She turned back to Shizune. "Any word on the Akatsuki?"

"No," said Shizune. "But once they hear that Sound is coming here, I can't imagine Itachi keeping still."

"True. We'll have to bolster all our defenses in the event both parties come here. And I think…yes. Send word to Sunagakure about our situation and see if the Godaime Kazekage would be willing to assist us."

"Yes, ma'am." Shizune hurried from the room.

"What should I do?" I asked quietly.

"Leave everything to us," said Tsunade. "For the time being we only need to prepare for Sound. I'm expecting full compliance from Sunagakure on this matter, so we can suppress a full onslaught. Just keep an eye on Tsubaki."

"You don't need to tell me that." I turned to leave.

"Sakura."

I stopped and turned back around. "What is it?"

"You won't be taken away again. We'll protect you and Tsubaki; we _always _protect our own. Please remember that."

"I will. Thank you, Tsunade-sensei." I took my leave them. I stood there in the empty hallway for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. I'd take Tsubaki's nagging to this any day.

_I can do this. I HAVE to do this!! Nobody's getting their hands on my daughter!!_

Tsunade said she'd take care of everything, leaving me to return to my routine as if nothing had happened. Obviously, I couldn't. I couldn't leave Tsubaki in a room alone and I was afraid of approaching the windows. I closed up everything tight and tried to keep calm for Tsubaki's sake. Thankfully she was oblivious to the approaching danger, playing with her toys. But it confused her whenever I picked her up and gave her a hug, which was like every two minutes.

_Leave us alone, just leave us alone!! Why couldn't Orochimaru choose somebody else? Why did it have to be ME?!?!_

It was useless dwelling on such things, particularly since none of the parties involved would likely tell me why. But it was still frustrating.

I watched the hours tick on, melding into a day. Then another day. And then another. Not once did I leave my house and not once did I let Tsubaki out of my sight. I barely got any sleep during that time, which wasn't exactly different from my standard routine.

"_You won't be taken away again."_

I wish I could believe that.

During that third day, I was jostled awake by a loud thump on my front door. I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep. Almost panicking, I check on Tsubaki and found her asleep in her crib.

I was shaking as I headed downstairs. I was afraid I'd drop Tsubaki. Somehow, I made to the front door all right and checked the peephole.

"Sakura, please open up."

Kakashi-sensei. Relieved beyond belief I opened the door. But that quickly died when I saw the look on his face.

"Sound is within sight of the village," he said quickly. "Tsubaki and you need to get to a secure location."

I didn't bother with words; I just nodded and followed him outside. I didn't know where they were taking me, but I prayed the secure location was a hell of a lot more secure than that house I was put in when Itachi invaded.

"Man, that guy's really pissing me off!!" I nearly jumped out of my skin. I hadn't realized Naruto was with us. "I bet he thinks he can get away with anything!!!"

"Of course he does," said Sai, walking in stride next to us. "He's amassed a large amount of power. Although…he's got horrible taste in girls—"

I glared at him murderously, but he simply shrugged.

"We'll be taking you to a sealing room," said Kakashi. "It's a very obvious safe haven, but no one should be able to break the seal on it once it's put up."

"Sounds good to me." I was looking all around us, half-expecting Orochimaru to jump out at us.

Luckily that didn't happen, and we reached that dark sealing room quickly. I surprised to see Yamato and Hinata waiting for us.

"We'll keep Sound busy and round up everyone," said Kakashi simply. "Hokage-sama will take on Orochimaru herself."

"Tsunade-sensei will?!" I cried.

Kakashi shrugged. "Jiraiya-sama isn't here and I don't really think there's anyone else strong enough to challenge him."

"She can do it!!" said Naruto confidently. "I've seen her fight Orochimaru before!!! She wiped the floor with him!!!!"

"Yeah, but Jiraiya was there with her that time," pointed out Sai.

Naruto glared at him. "What's your problem?! I'm getting all pumped up and you keeping killing my buzz!!!!"

"A lot of people are going to die today and in the upcoming days or weeks until Orochimaru has Tsubaki," said Sai evenly.

"You make it sound like we won't beat him today!!!!" roared Naruto. "And you make it sound like this is all SAKURA-CHAN'S fault!!!!!

Sai just shook his head. "Talking with you isn't getting me anywhere."

A tight knot formed in the pit of stomach. Even if his words were hurtful, they were truthful. Orochimaru never hesitated in killing anyone and whatever he had planned for my daughter he'd get rid of whatever's in his way.

"Why's the Hyuuga heir in her with us?" asked Sai, obviously trying to divert the conversation.

Hinata turned red until the sudden scrutiny and fiddled with her fingers. "Um…uh—"

"A request by her father," said Kakashi, and he left it at that.

"So are we all to keep an eye on Sakura and Tsubaki in this room?" asked Yamato.

"Yes. I have to join the fighting, but the minute I leave this room will have a protective seal put on it. There's a very slim chance Orochimaru will find it. But if he does you four are the only line of defense for Sakura and Tsubaki. Do you understand?"

"Yessir."

Kakashi nodded and turned to me. "Sakura."

"Y-Yes?"

"Don't do anything stupid."

"W-What kind of advice is THAT?!?! I'm not like Naruto!!!!!!"

"What's that suppose to mean?!?!" snapped Naruto.

"…And I'll leave you guys alone now." Kakashi took his leave then. I didn't know if he said that to soften the mood or was dead serious, but Naruto and I were still pissed a few minutes later.

"Guys, seriously, give it a rest," complained Sai, rubbing his head. "You're giving me a headache…"

I was still upset, but I took a seat on the floor. There was no furniture in this room other than some candles and it was chilly. But I didn't mind; if it kept us safe I could live with it.

Hinata came over and sat next to me. "Tsubaki-san…really is adorable…"

"Yeah, we're only lucky it was Sasuke who knocked her up," said Sai, dropping down on the floor. "If these two idiots conceived a kid…ugh, that makes me shudder…"

"SHUT UP!!!!!!" Naruto and I yelled.

"Um…can I hold her?" asked Hinata.

"Eh? Yeah, sure." I carefully handed Tsubaki over to Hinata. It occurred to me then that in the past three months Hinata had never held Tsubaki. Despite this, she knew the right way to hold a baby. Tsubaki for her part seemed rather comfortable in her arms. "Wow, you know what you're doing."

"I…I use to hold Hanabi when she was little. So…"

"Looks like you'll become a great mother someday, Hinata!!!" laughed Naruto.

Hinata's whole face turned bright red. "Um…um…um…"

"Huh?! Is something wrong?!" Naruto leaned in close to her face, almost sending her sprawling back. "Your face is all red again!! Do you have a cold? You seem to catch colds pretty easily, huh?"

"You're an idiot," said Sai, stretching out his arms.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?!"

Tsubaki started whimpering. I smacked Naruto on the back of the head. "Idiot!!! Stop scaring her!!!!!"

"Owwww!!! But he called me an idiot!!!!!"

"I call them like I see them," said Sai.

"URRR, you're REALLY pissing me off!!!!!!!"

"…I think I'll take her back now," I said quietly. Her whimpers were increasing in volume and she would surely cry soon. Hinata gave her back to me and I managed to get her calm.

"Hey."

I turned to see Yamato take a seat next to me. "What is it?"

"Why do you think Orochimaru wanted Sasuke to have a kid?"

"I still don't know. It doesn't make any sense to me. I don't even know why _I _was chosen for this. But I don't intend to give him my daughter."

"…I think I might have an idea…"

"What?! Really?!"

"…But it might not be right."

"Just tell me already!!!!"

"……I'm sorry. But if I'm not right, I'd rather not scare you needlessly."

"Oh gee, thanks."

Yamato shrugged. "I'm sure he'll reveal his intentions soon enough."

I don't know how long we sat there in that sealing room, but it seemed like forever. Naruto continued to try and pick a fight with Sai and the rest of us carried on casual conversation. But for the most part, it went along uneventful. We didn't hear anything going on outside and nothing disturb the solace in there.

At least for a while.

I guess I'd fallen asleep because I was suddenly startled awake by loud screaming. I frantically looked about the room, but everyone was accounted for. But they all looked as shocked as I did. The screaming hadn't come from inside but…outside.

I heard an ominous crack and the wall where the door was caved in. I screamed and clutched Tsubaki to me, who started crying. Everyone jumped up and gathered in a circle around me, all of them in fighting stances.

Now we could definitely hear screaming from all around us. It was no longer daytime and a full moon shined down on us. I felt helpless sitting there, having no idea what to do.

The smoke from the collapse started clearing and we saw a silhouette. Always acting on impulse, Naruto rushed at it despite our shouts. Though he quickly performed his Shadow Clone Jutsu, each one was quickly dismantled and he was sent flying into the wall.

"Naruto!!!" I screamed.

"Naruto-kun!!!" cried Hinata.

"That fucking idiot!!!" roared Sai. "Sakura, get out of here!!! Hinata, you go with her!!!"

"R-Right!!! Come on, Sakura-san!!!!" Hinata tried to pull me to my feet.

"I can't allow that," said a chillingly familiar voice.

"Leave this to me," said Yamato gravely. He faced off against the opponent. "Suiton: Hahonryū!!!!!!" He sent a spiral of water straight at them. It didn't seem to make contact and it continued on its way until it struck a building a few feet away. Before he could react, someone appeared behind him and struck him hard on the back of the neck, sending him sprawling.

It was then that we could clearly see it was Sasuke.

I felt like I'd been sucker-punched. I hugged Tsubaki tighter to me as Sasuke turned to face us. I wasn't surprised to see the same coldness in his eyes, but it hurt me deeply to see him like this.

"Ah, so the deadbeat dad makes his appearance," said Sai evenly. He stepped forward so he was standing in front of me.

"…We're not here to take lives," said Sasuke. "I'm only here for my daughter."

"Well, that's too bad. You're not getting her." Sai unsheathed his sword. "I abandon my mission to drag you back here, but you save us all the trouble by coming here yourself. Thanks."

Several shapes burst from the shadows and I quickly recognized Sai's Sumi Bunshin, his Ink Clones. There was about six of them. It amazed me he created so many in such a short amount of time. Although…he might've done them while Naruto was trying to get him to argue.

All of them began to engage Sasuke, and I felt Hinata tighten her hold on my arm. "Sakura-san…please. Let's get you away from here. Someplace safe."

I had doubts about her words. This sealing room was suppose to be safe. And although it took them all day to find it, they still found it. Where was everyone, anyways?! I was sensing strong déjà vu and it was making me upset.

Sasuke was distracted enough by Sai, so I tried to push down any misgivings and allowed Hinata to direct me to the exit.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you to leave."

We practically ran headlong into Kabuto. We both jumped back a feet few and Hinata immediately engaged him. "Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō!!!!!" She rushed at him and started attacking him frantically. I felt horrible just standing there and doing nothing while Sai and Hinata fought, but I didn't dare leave Tsubaki alone.

I heard a loud cry of pain and I turned to see Sai hit the ground hard. Sasuke for his part looked out of breath and a little disheveled.

"Now then," he said evenly, turning his attention towards me. "Let's stop this nonsence, Sakura."

"…Why are you here?" I asked quietly. "You left Tsubaki with me. What was the use of doing that if you were just going to come after us again?"

"Do you want more people to die, Sakura?" dammit, he wasn't answering my question. "We just want Tsubaki. Orochimaru said you could come too, since no one in Sound is capable of seeing to an infant's needs."

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Do you think being her father allows you martial law, Sasuke-kun?! Do you think I'll let Orochimaru put his filthy hands on her?!?! She's not some tool in whatever the fuck you bastards are planning, she's a child!!!!! A living, breathing, human being!!!! I won't let you guys just take her!!!! I WON'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Sasuke said nothing to this. Slowly, he closed his eyes. A brief look of pain crossed his face, but it was very brief.

Something sharp pressed against the side of my neck and my body went cold.

"It's not your choice, Sakura-san."


	14. Part 13

Part 13

I kept telling myself to stay calm, but that was impossible. I tried to move slightly, but the sharp pressure on my neck increased.

"Enough," said Kabuto coldly, pressing the kunai closer to my neck. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't cooperate."

I turned my head towards him, though that put dangerous pressure on my neck. Hinata lay in a heap nearby, barely able to catch her breath. I was surprised to see she didn't look too bad; I would've thought Kabuto would kill her for her interference. "I'm not giving you my daughter."

"We're not asking you to give her to us," said Kabuto. "But we'll be taking her with us anyways. You're welcome to care for her with us. After all, it'd be cruel to separate a baby from its mother."

I turned back around to look at Sasuke. He was preoccupying himself with checking over my fallen comrades, not even looking in our direction. "And what makes you think I'd agree to that?"

"I already told you it's not your decision. We're here for Tsubaki. _Your_ particular role in this depends solely upon you."

"…How so?"

"We're leaving here with Tsubaki whether you like it or not. But like I said, Orochimaru is incredibly merciful when it comes to your case. He's giving you a few options in this. One; you can voluntarily give us Tsubaki and we'll be on our way, never to bother you again."

"That's not going to happen!!!!"

"We figured as much. Two is what I've been saying all along, that you come with us and care for her in our territory."

I hugged Tsubaki closer to me. "…And what's number three?"

"I take this kunai pressed against your common carotid artery and tear through it, thus releasing the oxygenated blood that's flowing through your neck and head as we speak and you die a…not so pleasant death. And then we take Tsubaki anyways. But would you rather leave her to us, _alone_?"

It was becoming even harder to stay calm. I'd rather die than hand Tsubaki over to them. But if I _did _die and they took her, she would be completely in their hands. If I went with them, I could formulate a plan and protect her from these psychos.

But I didn't _want _to go with them…

I slowly closed my eyes and started to concentrate. "You don't scare me. You think just because I did mostly background work behind Naruto and Sasuke-kun that I'm useless in a fight?"

"What do you—oh shit!!!!!!!"

Luckily for me, Kabuto realized my intention too late. I quickly ducked my head to avoid the kunai and kicked at him with my right leg. He managed to dodge, but I tore through his clothes and cut his arm pretty deep. He jumped back and cradled his wounded arm.

"Should've known," he gasped, gritting his teeth. "You ARE a student of Tsunade, after all."

I rushed at him as fast as I could, the power of my chakra in my feet making giant holes in the floor. I held onto Tsubaki as tightly as I could, only able to attack with my legs. I didn't want to risk hurting her before, but now I was in a desperate fight for our survival.

It helped that Tsubaki was Sound's main goal. Kabuto wasn't exactly trigger-happy with me since I still held her in my arms. But his attempts at disarming me were half-hearted and it was easy to rush in and attack. A quick plan began forming in my head. If I could disable Kabuto long enough…then maybe I could run for it and hide until Sunagakure arrived with support.

This was a pretty good plan…if Kabuto had been alone.

As I continued my attacks, a hand grabbed my back collar and jerked me backwards. I stumbled, losing my concentration and thus the immense chakra in my legs, leaving them extremely sore.

"Sakura." My heart stopped when I heard Sasuke's voice, his lips at my ear. "You attack with our daughter in your arms? Using her as a ploy to defeat your opponent?"

I closed my eyes, unable to utilize my chakra a second time. "Let me go, Sasuke-kun."

"I won't. Don't you think this has gone on long enough? If you come with us quietly, then we will withdraw from Konoha."

I felt tears begin to build up again. I opened my eyes and turned towards him. "Why are you doing this? Why would you give Tsubaki to Orochimaru? She's OUR daughter, not his!!!"

Sasuke said nothing, and I knew he wouldn't give me an answer.

Kabuto came over to us, brushing some dirt from his clothes. "I'm very impressed. I think she's even better at maintaining her chakra than Tsunade is. I can see why you chose her, Sasuke."

My throat tightened. What did that mean, he 'chose' me?!

"Let's go," Sasuke said roughly. It was clear whatever Kabuto meant made Sasuke upset. "I don't think she'll fight us anymore. Will you, Sakura?"

I couldn't talk. Everything was happening too quickly. How could I just deliver my daughter into Orochimaru's hands? I didn't know what to do!!!

"…Perhaps we wasted our time trying to explain things to her," said Kabuto. "If she still doesn't get it, then she's in our way."

"I-I-I…" I clenched my eyes shut. I needed to make a decision NOW. And the only one I _could _make was very hurtful. "A-All right. I'll go with you guys to Sound."

"Excellent," said Kabuto cheerfully. "I'm glad you finally see things our way!! Will you come with us on your own, or will we have to bind you so you won't escape?"

"Th…That's not necessary."

"All right then." Kabuto looked beyond me to Sasuke. "Our mission is complete. Let's report to Orochimaru."

"…Right." Sasuke didn't sound too happy about this victory. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on my part.

Kabuto led the way towards the gaping hole in the wall where the door use to be. Sasuke followed close behind me. I couldn't believe this was happening. It felt like I was an outsider looking in on this mess.

"W-W-Wait!!!!!"

I quickly turned my head. Naruto was painfully climbing to his feet, his face full of anger and hate. He was out of breath and struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Do you think…I'll let you all just walk out of here with Sakura-chan and Tsubaki-chan?! You'll have to go through…me first!!!!!"

Kabuto sighed in exasperation. "I don't desire a fight with you, Naruto. But if that's what it takes—"

"Naruto," I interrupted.

Everyone stopped and looked at me. I ducked my head, unable to look at anyone, even Tsubaki. "Naruto…let me go this time. You're injured now, along with many others. Rest and come save us at full strength."

"Sakura-chan!!!!"

"Save us when it won't be a futile battle. I…I don't want you to die."

"I…" I could hear the pain in Naruto's voice. I could only imagine how difficult this was for him. "I can't do that!!! I can't leave you two out there at his mercy—"

"I'll take care of Tsubaki. I won't let Orochimaru do anything to her. Just…come for us quickly. Please, very quickly."

"Sakura-chan—"

"Come on, before the others arrive," said Kabuto, grabbing my arm.

I pulled it out of his reach. "I said I can walk on my own so I'll do it!!!"

"Then do it." He headed on his way.

"Sakura, please," said Sasuke quietly. I jerked my head in a nod and started walking again.

Naruto followed my words because he didn't attack us. But I knew it still hurt him.

"You fucking bastard, Sasuke!!! I'll NEVER forgive you for this!!!! When you come back to our side I'll beat the shit out of you!!!!!!"

It warmed my heart that Naruto still wanted Sasuke to come back to us. Deep down I wanted him to, despite everything he did to me.

But now…

We walked out of the sealed room into the crisp night air. Tsubaki began to whimper again, and I tried to console her. I didn't know how to though, with my own insides as twisted as they were.

_Help me…_

I glanced all around us. But there was nobody around. And there was no more shouting; just silence.

_Somebody please help me…_

We walked through the village as though nothing was out of the ordinary. We passed empty houses and empty stores; the people must've been evacuated to the shelters.

_Somebody…anybody…_

We met with none of the Konoha ninja on the way. Where were they? Were they all dead, or something?

_I don't want to do this…_

I prayed that there were ANBU watching us, ready to ambush us when we reached the front gate. That prayer became a desperate plea as we drew nearer, and no one intervened.

_Oh God…it's really happening…_

I kept scrubbing at my face to get rid of the tears. I didn't want Orochimaru to see them. But more and more kept coming out as we reached the gate. Soon we were at the gate. Then through it. And then beyond it. Through that whole time nobody tried to help me, if they could.

I saw a large number of Sound ninja gathered in the outskirts of Konoha. It was as though Orochimaru had uprooted his whole village for this siege. As we came closer, they all stepped aside and made way for us. Each one of them clamored close to get a look at Tsubaki.

"An Uchiha—"

"A girl though—"

"Orochimaru-sama doesn't mind—"

"Perfect—"

Orochimaru was standing in the center. When I saw him, I stopped in my tracks and involuntarily took a few steps back, bumping right into Sasuke. Kabuto shook his head and grabbed my arm, pulling me towards Orochimaru. I dug my heels into the dirt, but that did nothing to stop us.

"And here she is," said Orochimaru with amusement. His slimy voice washed over me, making my skin crawl. "Nicely done, Kabuto, Sasuke." He fixed his eyes on Tsubaki. "I wonder if Konoha goes to this much trouble for _every_ baby kidnapped, or because this is an Uchiha heir. There wasn't much of an uproar when I kidnapped babies for my…tests."

I hugged Tsubaki closer to me, my heart ramming against the wall of my chest. Orochimaru laughed at my actions. "Don't be so worried, Sakura-_chan_. I plan to take very good care of Tsubaki."

"That leaves me _very _assured," I snapped sarcastically, glaring at him. But my defiance only gained me laughter amongst the other ninja, including Orochimaru.

"You have spirit, I'll give you that," said Orochimaru. His eyes narrowed, though the sick smile never left his face. "As you might see, my arms are only partially healed." He held them up for me to see. Whereas before they were black, dead limbs that were paralyzed, now they were more of a tan color and he could move them. Somewhat. "I still do not have functions over my fingers. But I would like to…hold her. Give her to me."

"NO!!!!!" I felt even more frightened in that instant. "I agreed to come and take care of her, but I'm not letting you put your filthy hands on her!!!!!"

Orochimaru threw back his head and laughed. "My oh my!!!! Quite a spirit, acting as though you are in a position to make demands!!!!" He laughed even harder and louder, making me irritated but more so even more frightened.

Finally, he calmed down and held out his arms to me. "I will enjoy crushing your spirit—and your body if I feel fit to. But, please no more humor at the moment. Give her to me now."

I didn't and I glared at the ninja closing in around us. Tsubaki began to cry, most likely from how tight I was holding.

"Now look what you did. How sad to make you own child cry. Sasuke." He motioned to him. "Take your daughter and give her to me."

"…I thought this would be only after we return," said Sasuke quietly.

"I don't plan on doing it _here_, of all places. I just want to hold her." Now his face looked dangerous. "That _is_ my right, after all."

"…All right." Sasuke walked over and faced me. "Give me Tsubaki, Sakura."

"You bastard," I hissed, not even loosening my hold. "You make me come out here defenseless and want to give her over to _him_?!"

"Nothing will happen. He just wants to hold her."

I shook my head and backed away, though there was nowhere for me to go. "I won't do it!!!"

Sasuke let out a soft sigh. Before I could react, his fingers darted out and struck me in the crook of my arms. To my horror my arms immediately numbed and I was unable to keep hold of Tsubaki. She slipped from my arms, but Sasuke quickly caught her and brought her over to Orochimaru.

"You…" my elbows remained bent, but I couldn't move my arms. "What did you do?!"

"You'll be fine in a moment, Sakura," said Sasuke evenly. "I just hit a few pressure points." He stood in front of Orochimaru. "Here's my daughter, Tsubaki." Very carefully, he placed her in Orochimaru's arms.

Having no real use of his hands, he could only hold her awkwardly. Either way, it disturbed me on many levels.

"Yes, yes…this is indeed _your_ daughter, Sasuke," said Orochimaru. Tsubaki only seemed to cry harder in his arms, though it didn't bother Orochimaru. "All right, I'm satisfied. Take her back to her worrying mother."

Sasuke said nothing as he took her back. I was beyond relieved Orochimaru didn't do anything to her. But whatever was going to be done when we got to Sound's hideout…I couldn't let it happen.

Tsubaki was still crying, but Sasuke quietly hushed her as he brought her back to me. Somehow she calmed down enough, which stunned me. Not only was Sasuke comforting her, but she accepted the comfort?

"Here," he said, handing her back to me. The feeling had returned to my arms and I immediately snatched her back.

"All right, we have what I sought," announced Orochimaru. "There's no use dawdling here anymore.

"But…just to make sure Konoha doesn't come after us right away, I'm going to leave them a present."

I didn't like the sound of that. Suddenly, smoke filled the area and to my horror a giant snake rose up towards the sky. My fear began to escalate when I saw how the Sound ninja reacted to it. It only intensified when the snake let out a loud roar and began devouring any ninja standing too close to it. Both Sasuke and Kabuto grabbed my arms and pulled me far away from it. A few other ninja surrounded us, acting as human shields.

"Manda, must you devour my ninja the minute I summon you?" asked Orochimaru in exasperation, though it sounded like he didn't seem too confident.

The snake—Manda—quickly turned towards Orochimaru. "You dare to summon me again after the disgraceful battle last time, and without my 100 sacrifices?! I told you there would be ramifications. Be only happy I did not seek your life the moment I appeared."

"I thought of giving you a gift," said Orochimaru. He motioned in Konoha's direction. "There's a village there full of people ready to be eaten. Think of this as an apology for last time."

This caught Manda's interest. He looked towards Konoha. "Many powerful ones reside there. But…I do not want to face disgrace again!!! If that toad or that slug—"

"I incapacitate Tsunade and Jiraiya isn't even here. They're all for the picking, I say."

"Please don't do it!!!" I screamed.

Sasuke slapped a hand over my mouth. "Idiot!!! This isn't a compliant summon!!! He'll kill you if you cross him!!!!!"

Manda looked towards us and some of the ninja surrounding us winced. Even Kabuto started paling.

"Looks like you've got a strong one there," he hissed at Orochimaru. "If a great deal of your numbers shield her from me."

I whimpered and shut my eyes.

Orochimaru laughed off-handedly. "Hardly. She's just a hostage I'll dispose of soon enough. Besides, she's just had a child. Not a very tasty morsel, believe me."

Manda didn't answer him for a long moment, his giant eyes still on me. Finally he said, "…If you say so. I'll reserve myself for the village then. But." He moved close to Orochimaru until they were face-to-face. Several Sound ninja shifted uneasily. "I still want retribution. And you _will_ pay for what you did last time."

Without another word, Manda slithering towards Konoha. Each of the ninja around me let out sighs of relief and Sasuke released me.

"RUN!!!!!!!!" I screamed at the village. "There's a killer snake!!!!!! _RUN!!!!!!!!!!_"

"There's nothing you can do," said Kabuto. "Surely they might fight him off and maybe kill him, but Manda will take a few lives tonight."

"…You said you didn't seek bloodshed. You said Tsubaki was your only target. You FUCKING LIAR!!!!!!!" I lunged at Kabuto, but Sasuke held me back.

"We have to get going," he said, nodding his head towards Orochimaru. Blood was everywhere and body parts were strewn all over the grass. But Orochimaru paid this no heed and started off anyways. "Come on, Sakura."

"I hate you," I hissed to him, my head hanging.

His grip on my arm loosened briefly, but then tightened again as Kabuto and him pulled me along. _Please please PLEASE somebody stop that thing!!!_

As Konoha faded from my sight, I saw another poof of smoke and a dark shadow lump upon the snake. It filled me with some measure of hope.

---

We walked straight through the night and into morning, not stopping even for a break. I hadn't slept any and I hadn't really eaten so my movements were sluggish. Tsubaki slept fitfully in my arms, hardly waking up during the walk.

Sasuke and Kabuto had left my side to join Orochimaru towards the front. A flank of ninja surrounded me just a few feet behind them, each one of them watching me with cold eyes. They laughed whenever I tried to shake off sleep or when I stumbled in my steps.

By midday, holding onto Tsubaki was becoming unbearable. She'd used her diaper and was quite uncomfortable.

"Does…does anyone have a diaper?" I asked hesitantly. I was ignored. "Please, anyone?" No one said anything to me.

Part of me feared they didn't have baby supplies. Wouldn't they bring _something _if they planned on taking Tsubaki?

But we walked. Tsubaki's diaper started to smell awful and since we couldn't stop and I couldn't change, we both started to smell. The other ninja paid this no heed, though they put some distance between us.

I was more than relieved when night fell and Orochimaru called for camp. Kabuto approached and pulled me over to a specific rest area between two trees where a blanket was stretched out, and made me sit down. "You'll rest here."

"Can I have a diaper?" I asked for the thousandth time.

"Here." he tossed a bag at me. "Be quick about it. We'll bring you food shortly.

I was more than relieved to finally change her. The bag was full of diapers to give her, but I didn't know how much use they would be if I would only be allowed to change her once a day.

After I was finished, I watched her crawl around the blanket. My heart started to ache. I'd sworn to myself I wouldn't let anything happen to her. And now look; we were in Orochimaru's grasp. I knew the others would try to come quickly, but there was also the damage Manda was doing to Konoha. How was everyone? Were they all alive?"

"Please be all right," I mumbled, reaching out to pull Tsubaki into my lap.

"Enjoy." A random ninja threw a container of food at me that I caught reflexively.

I examined the contents, just simple rations. "Wait." The ninja had started away. "I can't use this."

"It's food, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I can't give my baby this."

The ninja threw up his hands. "You eat it then and breast-feed her." Then he walked off.

Breast-feed? I looked around us to see many ninja watching us. I hardly ever breast-fed Tsubaki. It always hurt after I did it and I always felt more comfortable with the baby formula.

But she hadn't been fed all day. And breast-feeding her hadn't occurred to me during the walk.

Now I had to do it with all these people watching.

I chewed on my food as though it were gravel, silently hoping some of those eyes would turn away. Unfortunately they didn't. But I knew she had to be starving and I felt horribly guilty.

_I hate this…_I picked her up and turned away from those eyes as best as I could. I tried to be as quick as I could with this, hoping it would be over fast. _Don't look at anyone, don't look at anyone…_

It took a few minutes, but it felt like forever. She looked a lot better afterwards, but I had the sinking feeling I'd have to be doing this even while we walked.

She was cradled in my lap when it happened. My entire body felt paralyzed and I fell back hard on the blanket. Tsubaki was still lying across my lap. What was happening?

"This is a security measure," said Kabuto good-naturedly, smiling down at me. "So you don't get any bright ideas in the middle of the night."

"Y-You…" I gritted my teeth. I couldn't move at all. It was all too reminiscent of the Forest of Death, when Orochimaru cursed Sasuke…

"I would've done my Nehan Shōja no Jutsu, but Orochimaru-sama said we need you wide awake tomorrow. So it's just a temporary paralysis that'll last until morning. Good night." With that, Kabuto walked away.

"You…fucking…" I struggled with all my might, but I couldn't do anything. Meanwhile, Tsubaki was still sitting in my lap and she began to fuss. How was I suppose to help her? Were they just going to let her lay there all night?!

I felt her be lifted off me and I immediately panicked. That alleviated somewhat when I saw who was holding.

"Here." Sasuke knelt down next to me and placed her on the blanket next to my head. "This should be more comfortable."

"I…" My head had fallen on its side when I landed, so I was looking straight at her. But I couldn't touch her, not even as she fell asleep. "Sasuke-kun…"

"You'll be all right," he said emotionlessly. "Orochimaru will leave you alone until we get back."

"Then what will happen?"

He didn't say anything. He didn't even look at me; his eyes were on Tsubaki.

"It'll be a long day tomorrow. Get some rest." He paused before he spoke again. "I'm sorry. I don't use it often, but believe me when I say it." He got up and walked away.

"_Sakura. I'm sorry."_

He was right. Even under Orochimaru's thumb something was bothering him. Bothering him enough to apologize. Was it the kidnapping? Or Tsubaki? Or this whole mess?

"_I can see why you chose her, Sasuke."_

I don't understand anything. Sasuke said he acted under Orochimaru's orders, but Kabuto said he "chose" me.

I hated this, not having a clue. And nobody was telling me anything. Did I really even want to know?

_Of course I do!!! A child was created from this mess!!! MY child!!! I HAVE to know why!!!_

It was so painful, having her so close and not be able to touch her. I hated it so much!!! Why was any of this happening?!


	15. Part 14

Part 14

I didn't expect this journey to be a cakewalk. And I didn't expect Konoha ninja to come bursting through the trees that morning. But it was still difficult.

True to his word, the paralysis lifted off me after the sun rose. But that gave me very little time to take care of my own business and Tsubaki's before we were walking again.

For a few days it was a continuing cycle of walking and resting. I started being able to time when they put the paralysis on me so I could take care of our business before it happened. But the whole situation started wearing me thin. Not once did I see anyone attempt a rescue or any sort of opposition by Sound. Where were the ninja from Konoha? Just how badly did Manda wreck my village before they stopped him? _Did _they stop him?

I was also holding out for some help from Sunagakure. With the amount of regard Gaara held for Naruto, I knew there was no way they would turn on us.

Then again, if the Manda situation was completely out of hand then Gaara and his ninja might have their hands full there.

It was getting harder taking care of Tsubaki. The first few days she did all right, but then she seemed to sense something bad was happening. She cried and fussed for hours on end, and only calmed down after several attempts on my part. The only time she seemed completely calm was when she was asleep. It took a lot out of me to calm her down, so I preferred it when she _did _sleep.

I had to admit I was a little relieved we were taking our time getting to Sound. Obviously with such a large group of ninja we would greatly stand out, but they weren't rushing anything. Orochimaru was a little too confident; not that I was complaining. The longer we dallied in the Fire territory, the easier it would be for us to get rescued.

One night it was different. I got everything in order for Tsubaki and me, and braced myself for the paralysis. But after several long minutes, it didn't come. I looked all around me to see the Sound ninja settling down to sleep. I was the only one fully awake.

This seemed too good to be true. Would anyone notice if we ran for it?

I looked down at Tsubaki. She'd already gone to sleep as well. I didn't want to leave her out of my sight, but this opportunity was too good to pass up. Besides, if _she_ left the area the ninja would definitely notice.

"I'll be right back, sweetie," I said, kissing her on top of her head. I tried to be as inconspicuous as possible as I got to my feet and started looking around. I needed to find an escape route. When I did I would come back for Tsubaki and we would leave.

I hoped.

I didn't make any sounds as I wandered around, completely disgruntled by the placement of the ninja. Every open area was swamped with them, although most of them seemed to be asleep. The rest were preoccupied with their own business and didn't even notice me.

Even so, it didn't seem likely we could just escape.

I was about to head back to Tsubaki when I heard familiar voices. Orochimaru and Kabuto were talking about something. For some reason, I wanted to know what.

They were sitting in front of a fire. Orochimaru was checking on his arms and Kabuto was sitting nearby. I ducked behind a tree and listened in.

"…So you'll do it then, Orochimaru?" asked Kabuto.

"Yes. Even as a girl this is an opportunity that can't be wasted."

"True. But being a baby there's no guarantee she'll survive it."

"If she can't survive it, then she was never worthy enough in the first place. But, her father survived it so I can anticipate she'll survive it as well."

"Of course. Perhaps it's lucky Sakura-san was compliant with us."

"I've yet to determine if she has anymore use to us. But I sensed an abundant level of chakra within the child when I held her, so I'll tolerate the girl's presence."

I clenched my fists angrily. I had a horrible sinking feeling of what they were talking about. 'It'…if they meant Sasuke survived 'it', then 'it' must mean the curse mark.

Shit, this was bad!!! I couldn't let them put the curse mark on Tsubaki!!! I turned around to head back, but their continuing conversation stopped me.

"How are your arms faring?" asked Kabuto. "It's long past the time when they should've healed."

"True. But they're healing rapidly. I think…" Orochimaru lifted one of his hands. Painstakingly, he flexed his fingers, clenching his hand into a fist and relaxing over and over again. "Yes. For the most part, the strength is returning to my arms. At this rate I'll be at full strength even before we reach Sound."

Kabuto nodded to this but said, "Maybe you should test out their strength first?"

Orochimaru smirked. "Yes, perhaps I should." Suddenly, his arm shot out.

The limb extending in _my_ direction!!!

I jumped back, but I couldn't avoid those fingers. They wrapped around my throat in a viselike grip. Stunned, I reached up and grabbed the hand. But I had no time to do anything more than that as I was yanked forward, dragged through the air towards them. The hold was so tight I thought I would die then. I would only be too lucky then; a quick death like that wasn't Orochimaru's style.

"Well, well," he said smoothly, bringing his face close to mine. "What do we have here? Hmm…I was certain I'd forgotten something tonight, in my jubilation over my arms, and what do you know? You're out wandering around." He looked me over. "And without your daughter no less."

I couldn't form a response; I was too scared. And his hand obstructed my voice. I couldn't even think.

"Kabuto." Orochimaru turned his head towards him. "I thought you made things clear to Sakura."

"I-I did, Orochimaru." Kabuto's voice was uncertain.

"Then why is she wandering about? Even without the paralysis, I would've thought she'd be smart enough to stay put."

"I don't…have an answer."

"…I'd expect not. Sakura." He turned back to me. "Why are you wandering around?"

He loosened his hold on me, but I still didn't have an answer for him. It was impossible for me to even think of a way out of this.

"Where is Tsubaki? Do you have her hidden away somewhere?"

I quickly shook my head.

"So she's where _you're_ supposed to be, albeit with no one watching her?"

I hung my head. I didn't intentionally abandon Tsubaki; I'd wanted to find a safe escape route and then come back for her. But that obviously wouldn't sound too good to Orochimaru.

"I let you come with us on the condition you would care for Tsubaki as her mother. And yet here you are, poking around in business that has _nothing_ to do with you, and she's all alone?"

Orochimaru sighed heavily. "Then…you're nothing more than a waste of time and space."

"I…" I tried to say more, but I couldn't.

"You're only purpose is to care for your daughter. But since you seem incapable of doing that, then you now have no purpose." He dragged me closer, staring me right in the eye. "Tell me, Sakura…how do you want to die?"

I realized too late he was going to perform his Shi no kumi no Jutsu on me. All of a sudden my vision went red. Loud screams filled my ears.

Blood…oh God, blood…it was everywhere. Running rivers.

And pain…I was in so much pain. I try to breathe, but I taste copper in my mouth. Blood.

I look down at myself. I saw why I was in pain; blood was shooting out my torso like a fountain. The rivers of blood I saw…they were my blood. I needed to breath, but I felt the stronger sensation to cough. A gesyer of blood erupted from my mouth. Everything was red…

It was too much. I hated it. I wanted it to end. Please somebody make it end!!!

A gleam…something shiny in this red world.

I had very little strength, but I lifted my head. A blade. The gleam was a sword, covered in my blood.

A dark shadow held the sword. I didn't know who it was.

"…_Sorry."_ It was a familiar yet disembodied voice. _"But…no more…"_

I'm scared…so very scared…

"Orochimaru."

I snapped back into reality rather abruptly at that calm voice. I was still staring at Orochimaru, but he was looking beyond me.

"Tsubaki…she won't stop crying." My head felt like it was full of lead, but I turned it. Sasuke was approaching us with an emotionless expression, but in his arms was a very hysterical Tsubaki. My chest ached, even as I was overcome with nausea.

"I found her crying all alone," said Sasuke. "No matter what I do, she won't stop. Maybe Sakura can…?"

Orochimaru said nothing for a long moment. Then he sighed heavily. "Fine. Go attend your child, Sakura." He literally threw me in Sasuke's direction. I landed with a loud thump on the ground right before Sasuke. My head was still muddled when Sasuke knelt in front of me.

"Here. Take Tsubaki." My arms were limp, but he still placed her there. "And don't ever leave her alone again." That was spoken very softly, I almost didn't hear it. I could only assume he intended to threaten me with Orochimaru interfering.

Tsubaki finally calmed down, but my hands were shaking as stroked her hair. Orochimaru's jutsu still had a strong effect on me.

"…I see now," said Orochimaru.

"Excuse me?" asked Sasuke politely.

"So Sakura still has her uses. However…she can no longer be trusted with Tsubaki alone."

"N-No!!!" I hugged Tsubaki tighter to me, causing her to cry again. "Yo-You can't—don't t-take her awa—away!!!"

"Still trying to give me orders? I don't think so." I heard Orochimaru approach and I involuntarily flinched.

He came to a stop over me. "Sasuke. Take your daughter back now."

"…She cries when I hold her," said Sasuke mutually.

"Nevertheless, she's yours. It's high time you get use to her. Now take her back."

Sasuke knelt down and reached for Tsubaki. I didn't have the strength to put up much of a fight, but I was fearful. What would they do with her?

"All right then," said Orochimaru. "Tsubaki is now YOUR full responsibility, Sasuke."

Sasuke stared blankly at him. "What?"

"Sakura seems incapable of keeping an eye on her. Since YOU found her like that, I can only assume you can do a better job."

"So…so you want me to carry Tsubaki all the way to Sound?"

"Yes."

"…And what do I do when she gets hungry?"

"Then you may take her back to her mother to see to her needs. Otherwise she's in your care."

Sasuke looked down at his daughter for a long moment. Despite his earlier words, Tsubaki seemed to have calmed down again and had fallen asleep.

I forced myself to talk. "S-S-Sasuke-kun. Please…don't take her away from me. I swear I—"

"He's in no position for you to beg to," said Orochimaru coldly. "So don't waste your breath."

Sasuke took a deep breath and let it out. "All right. I'll watch her."

"No!!!" I cried.

"Good!!! Now go off and get some sleep."

"Sasuke-kun!!!" The paralysis overcame me this time and fell flat on my face in the dirt. Sasuke took no notice of this and walked off with Tsubaki. "No!!! Don't—Sasuke-kun!!! Please bring her back!!!!"

A foot connected with the small of my back and I wailed in pain.

"If you ever pull this again," said Orochimaru dangerously. "Then I _will _kill you. I may have a higher use for you yet, but I don't need idiotic girls snooping around. Got it?"

"Fuck you!!!" I screamed, struggling fight the paralysis.

The pressure only increased on my back. "I guess death doesn't frighten you. How about this then; if you don't cooperate, then I'll make sure you _never_ see Tsubaki again. Is that better?"

I whimpered helplessly, pressing my face into the earth. Dying seemed like the easier choice. But to never see Tsubaki again? I didn't want to think about that.

"…I…I'll do it."

"Good girl." His foot went away. "You can sleep like that for the night. You future attitude might change that."

They both left me lying there. Tears leaked out of my eyes and soon I was hysterical. I'd been fooling myself by believing this was all too simple. I couldn't protect my daughter. I couldn't even protect myself.

---

Life got very dull after that. Without my daughter to carry around I had a little more energy to walk. But wthout my daughter, the Sound ninja guarding me decided to mess with me to amuse themselves. From simple poking and prodding to practicing simple jutsus on me, they certainly got their rocks off.

I paid very little attention to this; my mind on Tsubaki. I only saw her right before it was time to sleep. Sasuke would bring her over to me to hold for a little while. I could tell that this little job had him irritated.

At the same time…I noticed something different about Sasuke. I could tell he didn't want any attachments to Tsubaki, which fueled my fear of what was planned for her and filled me with sadness at his lack of interest in his daughter.

But…but the little things caught my attention. With each passing day, he seemed to be holding her in a gentler manner. At the beginning he'd bring her over for me to change her diaper and feed her, but then I no longer had to change her diaper. It seemed too good to be true that he would voluntarily change her diaper.

There were times I'd see him alone with her and he would just be talking to her. I had no idea what about, but some of the coldness was gone from his face when he did it. It gave me some hope that maybe, just maybe, we had a chance to get out of here.

Sadly, I still didn't know anything that was going on. Sound was doing a great job keeping me ignorant. I just wanted to know WHY this happened to me at all.

But I didn't have much longer to wait.

We'd been traveling for almost two weeks when it happened. I had very little doubts we were still in the Land of Fire anymore. But I was so exhausted from worrying and traveling that I passed out the minute we made camp.

I woke up hours later—I don't know how long—to the sound of laughter. I didn't know who'd want to laugh in this situation, but it sounded…childlike.

My eyes snapped open, but I couldn't move. I was laying on my side facing a tiny fire.

Sasuke was sitting right next to me. And he was…playing with Tsubaki.

If I could move my jaw, it probably would've dropped. I'd was completely speechless at this sight. He was _playing_ with my daughter like any father would. And he seemed to be enjoying it as well.

I finally found my voice. "Sasuke-kun?"

He jerked violently where he sat and whipped his head around. All at once his frozen expression was back in place. It was clear he was upset by being caught.

But he was calm. "Did we wake you?"

"Yeah, but I don't care. Please…let me see Tsubaki."

"Sakura, your body's frozen. You wouldn't be able to hold her."

"I don't fucking care!!" I snapped. "Just give me my daughter!!!"

Sasuke sighed softly, but he lay Tsubaki down next to my head. "How's this?"

I wanted to touch her, but was unable to. She seemed obliviously content, not even a hint of tears. "She…she looks all right."

"Of course," said Sasuke curtly. "I wouldn't let anything happen to her."

"I…"I closed my eyes, but tears still leaked out. "I don't know what's going on, Sasuke-kun, but I love her. I love her very much. I don't want anything to happen to her."

"…………Neither do I."

My eyes snapped open and I stared at him in shock. "What? You don't?"

"No."

"Then…they why force us to come along with you people?! Why get me pregnant in the first place?!?!"

Sasuke's mouth became a thin line. I cursed to myself, sure that I would get the usual rebuttal.

But he said, "All right. I'll tell you."

"Wh-What?! You will?!"

"Yes." He plucked at a blade of grass awkwardly. "Orochimaru wanted an Uchiha heir, produced by me. I agreed to go along with it."

"So…he sent you after me?"

"No. He had…somebody else in mind for me to conceive a child with. However…" Sasuke paused for a long moment before continuing. "I told him I refused to go through with it if it was anyone but you."

"_I can see why you chose her, Sasuke."_

"That's what Kabuto meant?"

"To be honest, I was trying to buy time and wait for him to give up on the plan. I didn't have any intention of having kids."

"You didn't?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at me. "Sakura, I made it clear to you when I left Konoha that my one purpose in life is to kill my brother. If I wanted someone else interfering with this goal, I would've allowed you to come with me when you offered your assistance."

That analogy didn't make me feel better, but I said nothing.

"Of course…around this time we got word your team had been sent out to take care of a couple of rouge ninja in some backwater town. Orochimaru felt that was the perfect opportunity for me to…" he didn't finish his sentence.

"So you found us," I said obviously.

"Yeah, and you guys were dealing with the rouges. I kept surveiliance on you until I knew it was time for me to…act. Unfortunately one of the ninja escaped your grasp."

"Hasimoto."

"Yeah, whatever. I knew he would only bring me problems, so I killed him."

So THAT'S what happened to Hasimoto. We'd never heard from him again and everyone had been fearful that HE'D been Tsubaki's father.

"While you guys dealt with the remaining rouges, I bribed the old lady of the place you were staying at to serve you guys that tea. I hadn't realized she served you tea regularly, but it fit very well into my plan."

"…So then we drank the tea and you lured me outside and raped me," I said dully.

Sasuke winced at those words and i instinctively felt guilt. I shouldn't have to feel ANY, though.

"I…didn't think you would become pregnant from that," he said very quietly. "I didn't want a child and I didn't want you entangled with my problems. But I also knew Orochimaru would find out if I did it or not so I…" he clenched his fists in his lap. "Sakura. This doesn't mean a whole lot, but I am sorry for that. You're right; I took advantage of you. I kept trying to rationalize that if _any_ child came of this that they would be your family, but…it doesn't change what I did." He glanced over at me and I felt like I'd been sucker-punched. Orochimaru's influence seemed to be gone from him, leaving a pained expression on his face. "In my quest I've hurt many people and ruined a lot of lives. I know that's not going to end as I continue. But I hope you believe me when I say I'm sorry."

It was hard to hold any hard feelings towards him when he looked so wretched and spoke so sincerely. However…being sorry didn't change the situation.

"I…have a feeling what Orochimaru wants to do with Tsubaki," I said slowly. "Are you going to let him do it?"

He didn't answer me right away and that pissed me off.

"…My only goal is to kill Itachi," he said flatly. "I don't intend for my daughter to be one of Orochimaru's pawns, but there isn't a lot I can do for her."

"But…but I can see you're starting to care about her!!" I cried. "Would you just abandon her to him?!"

"Don't you listen, Sakura? I won't let anything happen to her!!! But outside of that, I can't take care of her."

"So you still intend to run off to your death and face Itachi?!?!"

"Yes. My mission hasn't changed."

"But Tsubaki—"

"Isn't involved in my business. Besides, with how she came into existence wouldn't you rather I not be around her?"

"I…" I sounded ridiculous. Tsubaki was a product of rape and I was arguing with Sasuke FOR him to be around her!!!!

"I'll kill my brother. That won't ever change."

"Sasuke-kun…" I had to take a few deep breaths to stay calm. "What's the guarentee you'll be happy when you kill him?"

"I'm not doing it to be happy. I'm doing it because it needs to be done."

My eyes drifted over to Tsubaki. She'd exhausted herself from her play and had gone to sleep.

"_I kept trying to rationalize that if _any _child came of this that they would be your family…"_

"…Let me tell you a story," I said quietly. "There once was a rouge ninja named Yutaka Akio. He specialized in poisonous ninjutsus, but he always looked for the next big thing to make him powerful.

"Then he found out. One of the noble families living in the Land of Fire had a certain…Kekkei Genkai trait. I can't even describe it, it's too complex. Well, they didn't tell anyone about it but missing-nin still found out about it. In the end there was a monstrous battle and the only survivor was a girl named Kaede. We took her in because we didn't know if she possessed the family trait or not, but it was better to be safe than sorry. For the most part the other ninja backed off. Except for Akio.

"Using a jutsu he spent many years developing, he infected the land with a hideous poison, offering the antidote if we handed over Kaede. Tsunade-sensei however was confident we could find a cure ourselves. And…we did. By this time Sunagakure offered to take her in to throw Akio off-track, and it did.

"All the healer-nin were dispatched to spread the antidote, including me. Unfortunately, Akio happened to be in the area _I_ was dispatched. We managed to wash away all the poison from the but. But…" my throat tightened, but I forced myself to continue. "But Akio…was convinced the ruination of his plan was all MY fault. So…so he disguised himself as one of the sick ninja returning to Konoha and…killed my parents."

Sasuke said nothing.

"…It didn't end there. He was so _mad_ that _I _dare ruin his plan that he went around and started killing people I encountered on past missions. You remember Tazuna? He killed him, along with other people. Then he started sneaking around and…killing people I speak to in Konoha. It drove me nuts. I couldn't take it. Why did he have to kill all those people if it it was ME he wanted dead? I was given orders not to approach him, but I had enough. I decided…to leave Konoha and fight him."

Sasuke's silence was almost irritating, but it gave me time to continue.

"I did fight him and he easily overpowered me. He would've killed me if the other hadn't arrived. But then he…" I took a few deep breaths. "Then he killed himself. He claimed it was because the act would hurt me more than anything in the world. And…it did. I thought if he died then I would get some peace. But I only felt like dying more and more.

"Don't you see, Sasuke-kun?! This _revenge_ thing isn't gonna get you anywhere!!!!! You won't get any satisfaction out of it!!!! Sure, Itachi will be dead, but can you honestly say your heart will take it?! I felt nothing but despair when Yutaka Akio died. I was only able to make it thanks to my friends. But YOU never gave us that option!!!! YOU never _tried_ to reach out to us for help, no matter how many times we tried to help you!!!! If you succeed in this, then you'll be all alone. There won't be _anyone_ to catch you if you can't handle it. DO YOU WANT THAT?!?!?!"

Tsubaki woke up at my screaming and started crying. Mutely, Sasuke picked her up and quietly consoled her.

"…I used that, your tragedy, as an excuse to convince Orochimaru for me to choose you," he said finally. "And I knew you were sent on that mission to get you out of Konoha. But…our situations are different. The tragedy of losing your family happened to you as a teenager. You immediately had the strength to stand some semblance of a chance against your nemesis.

"But me…I was only a child. I stood there in the same room as Itachi and my dead parents. And what did I do? I _ran_." His voice began to tremble. "I ran and I screamed and I begged for my life like a coward. Itachi spared me because of this; surely killing someone so pathetic would be degrading to him."

"Sasuke-kun—"

"I'm sorry that bastard's death gave you no satisfaction, Sakura. But we're different people. My entire life has worked around the moment when I kill my borther. You on the other hand are too soft-hearted; surely if you _had_ taken his life it would be even worse for you.

"But for me…it's different."

"It's NOT different!!!" I cried. "Why does your life have to be this way?! Being Orochimaru's pawn…fathering a child you don't want…living solely to kill Itachi…does ANY of this make you happy?!?! What then, if you DO kill Itachi?!?! Will you return to Konoha and accept responsibility?!?! Will you be a father to Tsubaki?!?! Or haven't you thought THAT fucking far into the future?!?!"

"……Sakura. Please keep your voice down. Everyone can hear you and you're upsetting our daughter.

That hit a chord in me. "Our". Usually it was MY. He only said "our" to make a point.

But…I couldn't back down. "Do you love her, Sasuke-kun?"

"…I want the best for her."

"I can see that she's fond of you, even if you're practically a stranger to her. Do you think rushing off to your death in a fight against Itachi will make her happy in the long run? What about Naruto and Kakashi-sensei? Doesn't it matter to you just how much they miss you and want to save you? And…me. I want to save you, too."

"This, for the man who raped you?"

"_Yes_," I growled. "Despite that and despite the betrayals and your attempts to kill us. We ALL want you back. Knowing that so many people care about you…shouldn't that matter more than a vendetta?"

He didn't answer this, but he didn't make a retort either. After a while he moved closer to me and laid Tsubaki back down next to me. He took my limp around and wrap them around her. "Here. You haven't slept near her in a while. I don't think one night will hurt."

Then he got up and walked away. The gesture touched me deeply, but I was so emotionally twisted inside. I'd never trully spoken so openly about that experience with anyone before. It hurt that Sasuke simply brushed it off, even going so far as to say my ordeal didn't compare with his.

But…he still told me some of what I needed to know. And he allowed me to sleep with Tsubaki for the night. Maybe…just maybe there was still a chance to save him.


	16. Part 15

Part 15

Tsubaki was gone when I woke up, but I didn't expect her to remain by my side. Unfortunately I didn't feel too good about anything that morning.

I honestly didn't know what else to do. I hardly spoke about what happened to me and it'd been painful to talk about it to Sasuke. But I'd hope deep down my own trauma with revenge would help him open his eyes. It didn't exactly work, but the fact he was keeping such a close eye on Tsubaki made me feel better.

I was still afraid, though. He swore he wouldn't allow anything to happen to her. But I couldn't help but think he would abandon her if Orochimaru gave him the chance. Killing Itachi mattered more to him than being a father to her.

I sensed something different in the air when I woke up. There was a lot of tension and many of the Sound Ninja were on full alert.

_That means Konoha-nin must be closing in!!! We're gonna be rescued!!!!_

This realization left me in a very good mood. I felt a smile creep on my face for the first time in a long while and was actually humming to myself as we got ready to set out. If lucky shined well on me, Tsubaki and I would be heading back to Konoha by nightfall.

I caught sight of Orochimaru during the preparations, but unlike his subordinates he gave no indication of apprehension. He was talking to both Kabuto and Sasuke with his usual creepy calm.

But Sasuke…my elation died when I saw the look on his face. He looked angry. And he looked like he was arguing with Orochimaru, though I couldn't hear what was being said.

Orochimaru didn't seem hinged by Sasuke's anger. He reached out for Tsubaki, but Sasuke took several steps back. I had to bite my fist to keep from screaming. But this only seemed to amuse Orochimaru, who started laughing. God dammit, why can't I read lips?!

Whatever the case, it looked like Sasuke was arguing for Tsubaki against Orochimaru. It made me feel a little better, but not much.

Then it was time to go. And the pace was _much_ quicker than what we've been doing. The ninja surrounding me kept glancing around us and talking amongst themselves in hushed voices. They were also incredibly impatient with me, treating me a lot harsher than they did when they wanted to play. I tried to focus on whatever this impending "threat" was that would be rescuing us. I silently prayed they came before Orochimaru decided to do…whatever it was he wanted to do.

The morning passed on into the afternoon with no incident. And the afternoon passed on just the same. I was starting to get irritated. Just how long did I have to wait for a rescue?!

_Maybe it's not Konoha trailing you. They're probably still wrapped up in that snake. _

Well, whoever was trailing us wasn't an ally. Sound wouldn't be this uptight if it was one of their allies. The worst case scenario would be if it were the Akatsuki.

Okay, I'm not going to jinx myself with _that_ thought. And I think Orochimaru might actually be panicking if that were the case.

Even so, whoever the hell it was didn't make their appearance all day. I figured they might have a perfect opportunity when we stopped for the night, but Orochimaru didn't seem intent on stopping. We kept going even as the sun started to sink in the sky. I wasn't really surprised, but I hoped whoever was tailing us was expecting this.

Fortunately, I didn't have much longer to wait. As we continued on there was suddenly a shout from the ranks and half the ninja were blasted away by a huge gust of wind. Stunned, I stopped in my tracks and watched the spectacle with a slack-jawed expression. This proved to not be a good idea as another major gust of wind swept through _my _end of the ranks and I found myself flying through the air. I managed to concentrate my chakra into my feet and made my landing as soft as I could.

When I lifted my head…well, the best way I could describe it was mass chaos. The surrounding trees were on fire and everyone was fighting. Shouts of pain and jutsu chants filled the air and I sat there like an idiot watching some major event.

I managed to get a look at one of the attacking ninja and saw their headband. There was an hour glass on it.

Okay. So the ninja tracking us were from Sunagakure. Well, this guaranteed they were on MY side.

I quickly got to my feet and looked around frantically. I had to find Tsubaki. But I couldn't see anything thanks to the battles going on around me. Where would I even start?! She could be in Orochimaru's grasp for all I knew.

Something tapped me on my back and I screamed. I jumped forward a few feet and quickly turned. A…thing with six arms was standing there. It held Tsubaki in two of its arms, who was currently crying hysterically.

"LET GO OF MY DAUGHTER!!!!!!!!!!!!" I shrieked. I focused my chakra in my fist and punched it in the chest. I was horribly surprised to see my fist break through its chest to its hollow inside. What the fuck?!

"OI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" yelled a voice nearby. "What the hell are you doing?!?!"

I awkwardly removed my hand as a familiar face ran up. I nearly collapsed in relief. "Ah, Kankuro-san!!!!"

Kankuro looked his puppet over and cursed violently. "Why the fuck did you punch Kuroari?!?! I just went through hell getting this kid and you put a hole through his chest!!!!!!!!!"

"Um…sorry?" I snatched Tsubaki from Kuroari's arms. "There, there it's all right…I'm sorry, I just panicked."

Kankuro rolled his eyes at me. "This is more trouble than its worth…"

"Where did you find her?"

"The Uchiha had her and he didn't seem intent on giving her up. So I created a distraction."

I suddenly felt afraid. "…Did you kill him?"

"No; I didn't have any time anyways. Besides, killing him wasn't my orders; I was only told to retrieve the Uchiha heir."

"Her name is HARUNO Tsubaki!!!!!!!!!!" I yelled.

Kankuro simply shrugged. "I don't care what she's called. But Gaara told me to make sure you reached a secure location and that's what I'm going to do. We'd better go before I have to fight someone again."

"I…" I hugged Tsubaki closer to me. "Thank you."

"Consider this a debt repaid," said Kankuro emotionlessly. "Besides, I'm following orders. Now let's go."

A debt repaid? Then I remembered when I did my Dokunuki no Jutsu on him when he got poisoned on our mission to save Gaara. Did he mean that?

It was weird walking across a battlefield without doing anything. Despite putting a hole in his chest, Kuroari was still an effective puppet, repelling any ninja that came too close to us.

"Avenge the Yondaime Kazekage!!!!!!!!!" yelled a random Sand ninja.

Oh, so the well-being of my daughter didn't matter? Just avenging the murder of that asshole?! I felt SO much better!!!!!

"Fuck," muttered Kankuro, looking all around. "Secured location…there's fighting everywhere!!!!!!"

"Um—" I began.

"Never mind, I'll try something. OI, TEMARI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A huge gust of wind swept around us and a huge fan flew over our heads. Then Temari disembarked from it and landed gracefully on her two feet. "What is it, Kankuro?"

"How much weight does your fan hold?"

Temari narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you dumping your mission on me?!"

"Uh…" Kankuro raised his hands defensively and laughed feebly. "C'mon Temari!!! I'm supposed to escort her somewhere safe, but look around us!!!! Is ANY place safer than being up in the air?!?!"

Temari looked at me, her eyes dropping on Tsubaki. To my shock her whole face lit up. "Is this the Uchiha heir?!" She rushed over to me. "She's adorable!!!! And wow…she looks just like Uchiha Sasuke!!!!!!"

"Um, Temari? Battle?" said Kankuro.

Temari scoffed, glaring at him over her shoulder. "I've never tried carrying more weight on my fan, but I might as well give it a try. But don't think I'm not gonna tell Gaara about this."

"Yeah, yeah." Kankuro waved a hand. "I'll cover you while you give it a try."

"All right, then." Temari whipped her fan open and the sudden force of wind nearly knocked me off my feet. But the next thing I knew we were rising quickly up into the air.

"Where are we going?!" I demanded, looking over the side and straight down. We were a good 200 feet in the air!!!

"Somewhere safe," said Temari impatiently. "The ninja from Konoha should be here soon. They'll take care of you. With any luck we'll take down Sound tonight and put Uchiha Sasuke in Konoha's custody."

"Yeah…" I didn't mind being so high in the air. I could see what was going on and I actually felt safe.

"We'll get out of this, Tsubaki," I murmured to her, hugging her close. "We'll go home and hopefully live in peace—"

I didn't get to finish. One minute I'm holding my daughter to me, the next there's a loud "POOF" and smoke fills my vision. For a moment I felt delirious by the smoke. And…I still held something warm in my arms.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Temari suddenly screamed.

That scared me; I never heard her scream before. I looked down and suddenly found reason for her terror. A Kawarimi no Jutsu had been performed on Tsubaki. But instead of a log or a rock in my arms I was holding a HUGE FUCKING SPIDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I threw the spider away from me. Unfortunately it only reached the outer edge of the fan and didn't fall over. Holy shit, it was gigantic!!!!!!! It was the size of a standard ruler!!!!!!! I didn't realize spiders could be this big!!!!!!!!!!!

It made some sort of hissing noise and started crawling towards us. Both Temari and I started freaking out and crawled away from it as far as we could. We looked absolutely ridiculous; two professional kunoichi panicking over a spider.

Unfortunately Temari lost control of her fan and suddenly all three of us were free-falling. Temari grabbed hold of the back of my shirt and managed to get control of the fan again, but we had a less-than-graceful landing.

I tried to catch my breath from that scare. The spider was somehow still alive, despite falling 200 feet. Temari rushed over and started beating the hell out of it with her fan.

"Tsubaki!!!!!!!!" I shrieked, jumping to my feet. "Where is she?!?!"

"It's still moving!!!!" cried Temari, beating it harder.

A hand grabbed the other end of her fan. "Stop it."

The familiar voice drew my attention. I quickly turned and squealed with joy. "Shino-san!!!!!!!"

Shino for his part looked a little less than pleased. He let go of the fan and knelt next to the squished spider. "The Goliath Bird Eating Spider. The largest of the tarantula family and the largest spider in the world." He began petting it sympathetically. "This breed is harmless to humans; even its venom is non-life threatening. It was no threat to you."

"Try saying that when it's part of a Kawarimi no Jutsu!!!!" growled Temari. "The baby's gone!!!!!"

"Where's everyone else?!" I demanded.

"They're coming," said Shino calmly. "I just happen to sense a spider in distress."

"Gee, thanks for your concern!!!"

Shino sighed. "I imagine the rest of your team will be—"

Just as he said those words, Naruto burst violently from the trees. "Sakura-chan!!!"

"I TOLD you she was all right," said Sai, shaking his head as he calmly followed Naruto. "Hmm…don'tsee the brat, though—"

"Where's Tsubaki?!?!" I shrieked, grabbing a fisful of his shirt.

Sai gave me a funny look. "I don't know!! I just got here!!"

"What, is a party going on here?" Kakashi materialized behind Sai, looking somewhat amused. Beyond him, other ninja were starting to appear, having the same attitude. What the hell?! Did Manda give Konoha brain-damage or something?! What about my daughter.

"Kakashi-sensei!!!" I shoved Sai aside. "Tsubaki—"

"Well, Hokage-sama anticipated they wouldn't let you keep her. So she's got some of the Hyuugas tracking her chakra." Kakashi put a hand on my shoulder. "So please calm down. Getting so riled on such a battlefield won't do any good."

"Sakura-san!!!" Lee literally landed next to me from wherever he jumped. I screamed and fell over. "Are you all right?! Did the Sound ninja do anything harmful to you?!"

"Looks like she's about to have a heart attack—" said Naruto.

"INCOMING!!!!!!!!!" Temari suddenly yelled. We all turned to see about a dozen Sound ninja charging us. Just how many were there?!

"Naruto, take Sakura and go find Tsubaki!!!!" yelled Kakashi, charging forward.

"C'mon!!!!" Naruto grabbed the back of my shirt and dragged me away. "We gotta find Hinata or Neji or SOMEBODY!!!!!!!!"

"I will come too!!!" declared Lee, helping Naruto drag me off by grabbing my arm. "I swore to protect Tsubaki-chan and that is what I'll do!!!!!"

"Where'd Neji go?!"

"Gai-sensei left him with Hinata-san and his uncle. But I think they will seek us out when they find Tsubaki-san."

"W-What the hell is going on?!" I said finally, looking all around us. Various Konoha and Sand ninja were easily engaging the Sound. "What happened with Manda?!"

"Well, you see—" said Naruto.

"I think it would be best to save that for later," interrupted Lee. "When both Sakura-san and Tsubaki-chan are safe."

"Oh, so you guys showed up!!!!" I twisted my head around to see Kankuro. It looked like he wasn't controlling Kuroari anymore, but instead the other one he more commonly used. "What happened with Temari?"

"Those assholes switched my daughter for a huge spider," I snapped.

"Oh. Well, now that you guys are here it should be no problem rescuing her!!!" The puppet made attacks while Kankuro talked. "Well…good luck with that."

"Good luck?!" growled Naruto. "What the fuck kind of thing is that?!"

"Well, ah, I was only told to keep an eye on Sakura-san until you guys showed up. Oh, and…" He looked around and leaned in close. "If Gaara asks, tell him I kept an eye on her and handed her over to you."

"Why?! That's a lie!!!!" I yelled.

"I better go help the fight!!!"

I watched him leave, my temper rising. "A debt repaid…huh!!!! If he expects me to be grateful, he's got another thing coming!!!"

"We should proceed with caution," said Lee. Finally the two of them had let me go. "More than likely Tsubaki-chan is with Orochimaru."

"Let's get going!!!" yelled Naruto.

We didn't have any set direction of where to go, but it didn't stop us from looking. And we ended up engaging several ninja along the way. Although Lee and Naruto didn't want me exhausting too much of my strength, I fought alongside them. It was somehow invigorating to do so; like I was genuinely fighting for my daughter's life.

But we saw no signs of Tsubaki or Orochimaru or even Sasuke. If they took this opportunity to slip away, I'll be very pissed off.

After a while we were able to locate two Hyuugas; Hinata and Neji to be percise. Both of them were battling off various ninja.

"Hey!!!!!!" I yelled, running over to them as fast as I could.

Neji briefly looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "So here you are." He deflected another ninja's attack.

"Sakura-san!!!" Hinata ran over to me, wearing a nervous smile. "We were looking for you!!! We pinpointed Tsubaki-san's chakra!!!"

"WHAT?!?! WHERE IS SHE?!?! WHY DIDN'T YOU GUYS COME TO US FIRST?!?!" I grabbed Neji by the scruff of his shirt.

Neji rolled his eyes at me. "Didn't you just hear what Hinata-sama just said? We were looking for you!!! But we can't really help it when—"

I yelled a yell and a ninja jumped up from behind Neji. But just as quickly about two dozen kunai stabbed his body. That only meant…

"Tenten-san!!!!" It really was her, and she looked relatively healthy. "Are you all right for battle?"

"Of course!!" she whipped out a few more kunai. "I can't just stand by while my village gets attacked by ninjas and snakes and the such!!!!"

I still wanted to know what happened with Manda, but I was sure that could wait until later.

More ninja started showing up, and I started feeling confused. I didn't remember this many Sound ninja with us. Did more of them just show up when we're this close to the border? Or maybe it was the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu?

Neji sighed heavily. "I think you can leave this to us. Hinata-sama, you know where the chakra trail is, right?"

"Y-yes!!!" Hinata quickly nodded her head.

"You go on ahead and lead them to Tsubaki."

"All right!!!!" Naruto grabbed hold of Hinata's hand. Her whole face turned bright red. "Let's get going!!!!"

"I…" Lee clenched his fists and he started shaking. "Neji-san…I…"

His feelings of rivalry chose a very bad time to rear their head. Luckily, Neji sensed this too.

"Lee, you wanted to help her right?" He deflected more enemies. "You were Tsubaki's stand-in father for six months. That gives you _some_ responsibility towards her."

Lee seemed to brighten up and started pumping his fists. "Yes!!!! I will find Tsubaki-chan and—"

"Let's go find her, then!!!" I snapped. It was my turn to grab him and drag him off.

"I-I-I sense her!!!" cried Hinata, obviously still flustered over Naruto holding her hand. The idiot was still holding it, but clueless as usual to its effects on her. "Over that way!!!!" She pointed towards the trees with her free hand.

We all raced in that direction. By this time the entire area looked like a huge warzone. The ground was scorched and many of the trees lay in splinters. Fires were springing up all over and bodies were flying and laying everywhere I never could imagine what the big showdown would look like, us versus Sound. But this…it was just crazy to witness.

We burst through the trees, looking all around us. "Hinata, where did you say she was?!" I cried.

Hinata pointed again. "There!!!"

A Sound ninja ran past us, clutching a bundle tightly in his arms. "Got it—got it!!! Orochimaru-sama will—"

"GET BACK HERE!!!!!!!!!" I screamed, starting to chase after him.

"Leave this to me!!!!!" cried Naruto, cracking his knuckles dramatically.

"HURRY UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Yikes!!!!" he did a familiar hand sign and I was overcome with dread. "Hāremu no Jutsu!!!!!"

Over 100 naked girl Narutos suddenly appeared in the forest and surrounded the guy. Hinata cried out and covered her eyes, and Lee watched this in a state of total disbelief.

The naked girl Narutos wasted little time in pawing and groping the ninja. This distracted him very well and one of the Narutos had no problem extracting Tsubaki from his arms. To my growing horror, this Naruto ran over to me, completely unabashed by his own female nakedness. "Sakura-chan, I got your daughter!!!! I didn't wanna risk hurting her, and it worked out!!!!"

"Uh…" I awkwardly took Tsubaki back. She was crying hysterically and I immediately tried hushing her. "Um…Naruto? Please change back. Now."

Naruto glanced over his shoulder, where the other Narutos were still "assaulting" the ninja. It almost made me briefly question his sexuality. "C'mon!!! I got Tsubaki-chan back—"

"PUT SOME FUCKING CLOTHES ON!!!!!!!!!!!!" I shrieked.

"R-Right!!!!" Thankfully Naruto changed back. The ninja was lying in a leap on the ground, copious amounts of blood spilling out of his nose. The technique certainly was…effective. "Well, we got what we came here for!!! Let's go find Tsunade!!!"

We left the small forest and re-entered the clearing. I was immediately on guard. Just moments ago there was a lot of fighting going on. But now…now the clearing was empty, save a few dead bodies.

That familiar frozen feeling washed over me and I fell to my knees. All around me, everyone else fell down, unable to fight the paralysis.

"Thank you, Sakura-san, for delivering Tsubaki to me."

My stomach tied up in knots. I whimpered as Orochimaru came to stand in front of me and easily took my daughter from my arms.

"You bastard!!!!!" growled Naruto, struggling against the hold.

Orochimaru shook his head, his focus on Tsubaki. "I didn't anticipate my plans to go up into smoke like this. But I guess have a fondness for the Uchiha Kekkei Genkai can be a double-edged sword."

"Wait…what?!" I cried.

Orochimaru ran his fingers through Tsubaki's hair. "Having an Uchiha as my next body…and subsequent _more _Uchihas for my future bodies…to be able to exploit the potential of one of the most powerful ninja families in existence…I almost pulled it off."

"W-W-Wait!!!!" I cried, struggling with all my might. "Y-You mean…making Sasuke-kun get me pregnant…you did it for MORE BODIES?!?! You're exploiting what's left of the Uchiha clan for potential bodies to possess?!?!"

Orochimaru glanced at me. "Is it really that shocking, Sakura-san? You've seen how powerful both Sasuke and Itachi are. And both of them are still in their prime. Just imagine what their full capabilities will unleash.

"And Tsubaki here…her chakra levels are absolutely amazing, and she's still an infant. I have to hand it to you since I mistook you for a weakling. Although…" he glanced away. "I would've preferred a Hyuuga/Uchiha mixing, but this works as well."

My throat tightened. I glanced out of the corner of my eye at Hinata. I couldn't see her completely, but she looked horrified.

"A-A Hyuuga?" she gasped very quietly. "You mean…me?"

Orochimaru was looking at her now. "You're the heir to the entire Hyuuga clan. Who else would I mean?"

It didn't seem very surprising, but it was still a shock. So Orochimaru intended for Sasuke to get Hinata pregnant. She DID seem like a better candidate than me.

But Sasuke didn't want her. He chose me for it.

"Hinata-sama." Orochimaru walked over and knelt in front of her, Tsubaki still in his arms. "Did it ever occur to you why my ninja didn't actively seek your doom, patricularly during the Chuunin exams? And why Kabuto even bothered to save you all those years ago? Did you think this was some half-baked plan I just recently concocted? I chose Sasuke for myself…and I chose _you_ for Sasuke. But…Sasuke didn't choose you. In the end I'm not really complaining."

He was just two feet away from me. But I couldn't do anything!!!

Hinata looked completely shaken by his words and I couldn't really blame her. _I _didn't know how to deal with this.

But not all of my questions were answered. "And the curse seal...on Tsubaki?!" I ground out.

Orochimaru glanced at me. "Oh, are you still talking? I'm surprised you knew about that detail."

"You'd put the curse seal on a BABY?!?!" screamed Naruto. "What the fuck's the matter with you?!?!"

Orochimaru shrugged neutrally. "I thought to test her worth. Her father could handle it at age 12, after all. Not to mention…" his face darkened and he quickly glanced around us. "He's acting up. It was my mistake to allow him to get close to her. He's rather…attached to her now. I thought to put it on her right away to keep Sasuke under my control." He suddenly grinned and fangs portruded from his teeth. "On that note…I'd better—"

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I screamed, struggling as hard as I could. I couldn't let him do it, I couldn't!!!!!!!

But I didn't need to worry much. In a flash someone was standing in front of Orochimaru, his fingers digging into his cheeks. "Stop right there."

It was Sasuke. He held Orochimaru's face in a viselike grip, his fingernails drawing blood.

In a flash I felt the paralysis fade. My first instinct was to rush to Tsubaki's side, but I forced myself to calm down. I couldn't do anything for her at the moment, not until both of them were completely distracted. So instead the four of us scattered, taking point from safe but guarded distances.

"Uchiha Sasuke!!!" Kabuto rushed into the clearing, wielding a sword. "Let me go now!!!"

Orochimaru growled dangerously, glaring up at Sasuke. "I knew sometime down the line you would betray me. How pitiful for a child YOU agreed to produce for me!!!!!"

Sasuke's eyes were blazing with the Sharingan. "Perhaps you are mistaken. I was never loyal to you; only joining your side to gain more power. Surely you understood this."

Orochimaru let out a hideous laughter. "Of course I did!!!! After all, it was the power that tempted you to my side!!!! And I knew you would be willing to throw a child at me, even your own, in order to accomplish your goals!!!"

"Let Tsubaki go!!!!" I screamed.

"Be quiet, Sakura!!!!" yelled Sasuke.

"Don't tell me to be quiet!!!! I don't care what kind of conflicts you two are having, but you aren't dragging MY daughter in the middle of them!!!"

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. "You really—"

"So much family drama without my input." A new voice fluttered over the area. My stomach dropped and my body went cold. Both Orochimaru and Sasuke stiffened.

Heads turned as Itachi calmly stepped forward. I heard Naruto and Lee start panicking, wondering if the rest of the Akatsuki were nearby. Would Itachi have come here alone? "But as least now I know why you disrupted my plans, Orochimaru."

Plans? Just wonderful, more unanswered questions.

But his appearance made wrong impressions. Sasuke let out a yell and let Orochimaru go. He charged at Itachi very quickly, pulling out his sword as Kabuto rushed towards Orochimaru.

And just as Sasuke ran away, a huge whirl of Sand struck both Orochimaru and Kabuto from behind. To my horror Tsubaki went flying out of his arms. Orochimaru managed to jump away from the sand attack, but the sand enveloped Tsubaki. I watched as she glided gently through the air until she came to a rest in outstretched arms.

"So this is the Uchiha heir?"

It was Gaara, looking down at my daughter impassively. He was flanked by both Temari and Kankuro and various other Sand ninja. I looked all around us through the trees and the fire to see more ninja, Sand and Konoha, all armed and ready. It didn't seem likely Orochimaru, Kabuto, Itachi, and Sasuke could escape with so many ninja aroudn them.

It didn't matter to me. The area was secure enough, so I started running towards Gaara to get Tsubaki. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tsunade step forward, addressing Orochimaru. She looked haggard but determind and I felt a little sorry for her.

Even with this level of control, there was still some chaos. Some part of my mind registered a cry of pain, sounding something like Sasuke, from nearby. But it didn't register with me. All I wanted to do was get to my daughter.

I heard a sort of shriek and the world stopped.

It was as though I lost my hearing; but all I could hear was a loud roar and my heartbeat. Something slightly abstructed my vision. And my body felt…strange.

I felt the strong need to cough and I did, though very weakly. I tasted blood in my mouth and it spat out over my chin.

The thing blocking my sight moved ever so slightly. It was narrow and sleak…shiny and wet.

Pain…oh god pain!!!!! Pain shot up and down my back and my front. I wanted to cry. But I felt like I was choking; I couldn't make any sound.

The wetness…it was red. Really dark red. I wanted to look beyond this, but everything else was in a fuzz. Everyone seemed to be facing me, but I couldn't see them and I couldn't hear them.

I didn't want to think of what it was, didn't want to face the reality. But I couldn't stop my head from turning down.

A blade. A sword was sticking out of my torso from the back.

---

This chapter…ran away from me. Got a little crazy for a moment. I'm not use that happening, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless.


	17. Part 16

Part 16

My body couldn't stop shaking. I should've been completely freaking out, but I wasn't. But I couldn't take my eyes off the sword.

The pressure in my back was unbearable, but not as unbearable as the pain. My whole body unexpectedly arched as though to relieve the pressure and escape the pain.

"_Sakura-chaaaaan!!!!!!_"

Was that Naruto? His voice sounded like slow-motion and so far away.

Suddenly, I felt like I was falling back. The world started spinning, my stomach started spinning. I felt sick…

A hand caught my shoulder, keeping me in place. I felt lips at my ear, the breath moving strands of my hair, tickling my skin. It's funny I could even feel that through the pain.

"I'm sorry. But I can allow no more Uchihas to be produced like this."

Itachi.

His voice was so calm, and…sad? Why would he feel sad? He's killing me.

His grin on my shoulder tightened suddenly. A strange sound, like a gulping fish, was torn from my throat as Itachi quickly pulled the sword from my body. I saw a red spray fill my vision, only dimly aware is was _my _blood.

Then I was falling again. But this time Itachi didn't catch me. My eyes rolled into the back of my head and the world went white. I couldn't hear anything. I thought for a moment I really had died.

"No, STOP!!!!!!"

The world snapped into focus as soon as I hit the ground. I was vaguely aware of what was going on around me.

"HINATA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

What happened to Hinata? I couldn't move my body; I felt disconnected from it. But somehow my head rolled to the side. There were a lot of people running around me.

Then I saw Hinata. She was lying facedown on the ground, various ninja surrounding her. I could sense the urgency and knew something very bad had happened. As if _my_ getting stabbed wasn't bad enough.

Somehow, I felt sickly calm. I turned my head away and looked up at the sky. My world was becoming clearer to me, even as I felt it slipping away.

"Calm down!!!!"

There were a lot of stars tonight…

"She's not breathing!!! And her heart—"

I could smell the trees burning. It smelled awful.

"I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!!! I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!!!!!"

Hee…I was worrying about something, wasn't I? What was it?

"Oh my God, the seal!!! THE SEAL!!!!!"

Oh well, it didn't matter. I was gonna be dead soon anyways.

"Hokage-sama!!!! Naruto—"

What was that about Naruto? First me, then Hinata and now Naruto. The calm started ebbing a little. Who else was dead? Everyone seemed to be screaming.

"I know, just SHUT UP!!!!!!!" A familiar face entered my line of vision. Tsunade. She looked very pale; the sight of my wound must be getting to her. "Sakura, can you hear me?"

I couldn't get my lips to move. I felt so tired…

A sharp sting of pain erupted from from my face. Tsunade had slapped me. "Stay focus, Sakura!!! I have to close your wound, but if you're not gonna make it then I shouldn't bother!!!"

How could she say that to me? I just got stabbed. That cold bitch!!

I would've liked to have said that, but I didn't have the energy. "……I……"

Tsunade nodded. "Good enough. I'm gonna quickly heal you, but there's not a lot I can do about the blood loss until we get back to Konoha. I need you to stay with me on this, okay? Focus on your daughter."

My daughter? Who…Tsubaki!!!! I'd forgotten about her!!!

Tsunade grabbed my shoulders. "Don't move." I hadn't realized I tried to sit up. "She's in good hands." Gaara's? "Just lie still and let me do this."

It was obviously going to be a rushed job considering the circumstances. I didn't have any problems laying still. Even as she quickly healed me, I didn't feel any better.

A scream suddenly came from somewhere nearby and it sent a cold shiver down my spine. Tsunade looked completely panicked.

"What the hell is that?!?!" someone yelled, maybe Kabuto.

Tsunade cursed violently. "I'm not done yet. I fixed the internal damage but her wound is still open. Someone get her out of here!!!!!"

So I was still hurt? Wonderful.

I felt two hands hook under my arms and quickly drage me across the grass. Ooh, not a good idea. My wound would tear more.

"Just stay here, Sakura-san!! We will save you, I swear we will!!!"

Lee. And his voice was beyond hysterical. I wanted to say something to him, anything. But as soon as he moved me he was quickly gone.

I was back in the trees. At least _these_ weren't on fire. Yet.

Since my wound was partially healed, I could move a little bit. I looked around me without a real awareness what to do.

It was then I saw Tusbaki. She was laying just ten feet away from me, crying hysterically. I was irritated Lee didn't put me closer to her, but I imagined he was in a bit of a hurry.

But then my irritation grew. Why was she just laying there in the middle of the open? What the fuck was Gaara thinking?! This wouldn't protect my daughter!!!!

Something caught my eye in the top corner of my vision. I glanced up and thought it was a hallucination. After all, people on the brink of death tended to see strange things. I seriously hoped this was the case.

A loud roar echoed the area and several trees splintered nearby as a giant sand-colored leg stomped down in the forest. I started hyperventilating, unable to turn my eyes away, unable to do anything.

Somehow, if the current chaos just wasn't enough, somebody summoned Shukaku, the demon who had possessed Gaara. That should've been impossible, though. Didn't the Akatsuki take him from Gaara?

That meant the Akatsuki was nearby. But I couldn't see _why_ they would release a monster they worked very hard to capture.

Shukaku seemed rather relieved at his unexpected release. He also seemed intent to cause more problems in this already unstable situation.

Unfortunately, as he made his way out of the forest, his foot came up just over Tsubaki. To my growing horror, it became VERY apparent that his foot would come down on top of her.

"STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I screamed with as much energy as I could muster. However, my outburst took a lot of strength and I was unable to even attempt to crawl over.

I won't be melodramatic and say it happened in slow-motion, because it was very quick for me. A hoarse sound came out of me as that foot met its mark. But just as quickly, a wave of sand surrounded both Tsubaki and the foot and shot out at Shukaku, making the demon lose its balance and topple over, destroying more of the forest.

Gaara put a sand shield around her. I immediately regretted everything bad I said about him. He really did care about her safety. I knew I owed him bigtime for this.

But I still couldn't move. I'd manage to roll over onto my stomach while trying to get to Tsubaki, but I didn't have the energy to move any further. To make matters worse, my wound had done exactly what I feared it would do; it tore. So now I was bleeding again. And I was fairly sure everyone else was preoccupied with what was going on.

A warm hand touched the back of my head. It startled me enough to realize I'd briefly past out. Whether from the pain or blood loss or exhaustion or a combination of these, I didn't know. I didn't really care, either.

"Sakura." It was Sasuke. His tone was cold and yet gentle at the same time. "I'm gonna roll you over to see your wound, okay?"

Why would he care to see my wound? It didn't matter; I merely grunted an affirmation.

He rolled me onto my back as carefully as he could. Whatever he saw made him swear; I guess my wound wasn't good. "I thought she healed you."

"She…" I forced myself to talk. "Yes…but Tsubaki…that thing…"

Sasuke shook his head. "I'll have to finish where she left off then."

My eyes opened widely and I stared at him in disbelief. Heal me? He wanted to do that? But he didn't have any healing abilities!!!

Sasuke rolled his eyes at me as though he heard my thoughts. I realized his dark eyes were bright red. "I watched how she healed you. Now _I _can do it."

Oh yeah, his Sharingan allows him to copy _any_ person's ability!!! I was so relieved I could've cried.

But there was still one more thing. "Tsubaki—"

"Right here," interrupted Sasuke. I noticed her tied to his chest with a sash. At least she wasn't crying anymore. "I'll be quick with this. The others distracted Shukaku, but he wants to find the source of that sand attack."

"Gaara…a shield—"

"…Looks like I'm in his debt. Now stay still." Sasuke mimicked Tsunade's movement and quickly set about healing me. I knew as an Uchiha he had a great amount of chakra that would help me. But it still amazed me that he would help me. Even more so that he would choose to help me as opposed to trying to fight Itachi.

After several moments, he leaned back. His face was a little white, but he looked coldly smug. "That's the best I can do. Your wound is closed, but it'll reopen if you move drastically again. And the blood loss—"

"I know. It'll…wait…" Even though I was out of the danger zone, I still felt sleepy. Now that I had a higher chance of living, I felt better about sleeping.

But I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt Sasuke's arms go around me. My skin tingled and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. It was amazing that his touch could do this to me, despite everything that's happened.

"…Gonna take you elsewhere until the fighting stops," said Sasuke. He lifted me into his arms, my head sagging against his shoulder. I hope I wasn't crushing Tsubaki. "So we aren't in anyone's way."

"I…" my arms felt like dead weights, but they somehow found their way around Sasuke's neck. He didn't stiffen from that, but he didn't react otherwise. "Naruto—"

"The seal broke," said Sasuke grimly. "When he saw what…happened to Hinata and you he completely lost it. They're trying to calm him down, but with Shukaku here now…" he trailed off.

I was stunned speechless. This was beyond horrible. If Naruto's seal broke, then the Nine-Tailed Fox was running rampant. And if they couldn't get him back to normal…

"No…" I felt tears sting my eyes. Why did this have to have to happen?! I didn't understand!!! Me, Naruto, Hinata…

That made me speak up again."Hinata…what—"

"Itachi stabbed her too, but he hit his mark better with her." He paused before saying, "She's dead."

My body grew cold. Hinata? Dead? That couldn't be!!! "No—"

"She's lost a lot of blood and they were still doing CPR when I left them. If she wasn't dead then, she's certainly dead now."

My throat tightened and tears stung my ears. It just couldn't be!!! Hinata…she was such a sweet girl. Even if she was the intended target for Orochimaru, it still wasn't right!!!

And Naruto…he didn't deserve this. It wasn't his fault the damned demon had been sealed up inside him. Oh God…all those times I was so awful to him…I shouldn't have treated him like that. I should've…damn it!!!

"Let's go," said Sasuke.

I couldn't stop my tears. I looked back into the chaos to see blazing red fire. It seemed all at once everything I knew started falling apart. Naruto, Hinata…and whoever else was already dead…this was so horrible.

I buried my face into Sasuke's neck and sobbed. I half-expected him to recoil, but luckily he didn't. But he didn't offer me words of comfort either. I was relieved; I didn't need to hear such words that probably had no meaning anyways.

---

I don't know how far Sasuke took us, but it wasn't far enough to escape the explosions and the yelling and screaming. It was a small clearing at the bottom of a steep hill; peaceful except for what was going on.

Sasuke gently set me down alongside the bottom of the hill. I become soaked quickly from the dew sticking to the grass, but I didn't care. My emotions were all screwed up.

"They should be done soon," said Sasuke, taking a seat nearby. The night was starting to fade into early morning.

My eyes felt puffy from crying so hard, but I still felt tears welling up. "Tsubaki…give her to me."

"Eh?" Sasuke had unwound her and was holding her. "But…your wound—"

"Give me my daughter," I practically snapped.

Sasuke sat there motionless for a while before climbing to his feet. He carefully leaned over and placed Tsubaki in my arms. I was relieved and pleased she seemed just as happy to see me as I was to see her. I hugged her as tightly as I could, which sadly wasn't too tight. But I was just too happy to hold her, in light of everything that happened.

Sasuke kept glancing over his shoulder and he was on edge. I could tell he hadn't managed to kill Itachi and he seemed irritated. It made me angry but I wasn't surprised. Killing Itachi mattered more to him than any of us did.

I realized I was _really_ mad at him, particularly for the nonchalant way he told me about Naruto and Hinata. I didn't have the words to yell at him though, so I just lay there and stewed.

Finally, he spoke. "I didn't realize all…this would happen. I knew they would come after you, but this…this is completely out of control."

"They didn't just come after me," I said, my voice hard. "They came after you too, Sasuke-kun. Everyone wants to help and they want you back."

"And I said it's wasted," said Sasuke. "My mission is not yet finished."

"If your mission mattered more to you then why…why did you save me? You healed me yourself. You're just lying—"

"Shut up," he snapped. "I saved you because you're the mother of my daughter and the only reason you're even in this mess is because of me. If I hadn't gotten you pregnant, then it wouldn't have gotten this bad and Itachi…he wouldn't have tried to kill you."

"Or Hinata," I said sadly, my throat tightening again. I hoped with all my heart they saved her. But I knew Sasuke wouldn't have said such a thing to hurt me.

"…I'm sorry she got involved too. I had a lot of respect for her; there aren't many girls who see me admire my power only as opposed to trying to paw me."

His words offended me greatly. I didn't paw him…that I recalled. And is THAT why he didn't get her pregnant? Because he _respected_ her?!

I must've said all of this out loud, because his face hardened. "I told you I have my own reasons, Sakura. And don't act like I never respected you. Just because I didn't fawn over you like Naruto and Lee did didn't mean I never liked you."

My mind went into overload. I couldn't believe what he said. Liked me? He liked me?!

Sasuke looked embarassed and looked away. "You were my teammate, after all. I couldn't exactly hate you, could I?"

I couldn't find words. The words were still echoing in my head.

"As for Naruto…" his voice sounded sad. "He's strong and he's had that fox inside him his whole life. I believe he can regain control."

I sobered up at this. I prayed Naruto could regain control. I was flattered he got so angry over what happened to Hinata and me, but I would never want that menace unleashed on the world again.

I noticed the sounds from the battle were starting to die down. I felt so guilty I couldn't do more for them. All at once I remembered my first missions with Naruto and Sasuke. I usually stayed on the sidelines while they fought with Kakashi. Obviously Tsubaki was a high priority and getting mortally wounded was a good excuse. But I could've done more to help them.

"They should be done now," said Sasuke. "I didn't tell anyone I took you, so whoever's left should come looking for you soon."

"…And what will you do?" I asked quietly.

"If I need to answer that, then I question your intelligence, Sakura." Sasuke climbed to his feet. "I'm going to go find Itachi before he sneaks off."

"But—" I began.

"Does it look like I'm sneaking away?"

I stiffened at that voice. I clutched Tsubaki to me, my eyes on Sasuke. Sasuke for his part slowly turned around to face the speaker.

"Here we are," said Itachi coldly, standing several feet away. He was still holding his sword; it was completely covered in blood. "The last three Uchihas all right here."


	18. Part 17

Part 17

Sasuke was oddly calm, given the current situation. But it didn't sit well with me.

"You surprise me again, little brother," said Itachi calmly, hoisting the bloodstained sword onto his shoulder. "I would've expected you to come looking for me in the heat of the battle, not save your little whore and your little bastard."

"OI!!!!!!!!!!!!" I screamed. "Don't talk about my daughter that way!!!!" It was amazing how well my anger worked for me even with my serious wound.

Itachi found my outburst amusing. "Sorry. Perhaps it was inappropriate for me to call you such when it was Sasuke who molested you."

I heard a noise come from Sasuke, but I didn't know what it was.

"And how _did_ Orochimaru handle to Sakura-san popping out a girl? And don't play dumb, I'm very well aware of his disgusting plan." Itachi paused for a moment before continuing. "You said her name was Tsubaki, right? After the flower?"

"Y-Yes," I said before I could stop myself.

"Hmm, how very…cute." It was weird hearing Itachi say 'cute'. "And it flows nicely. Uchiha Tsubaki." His voice was full of scorn, however.

"Haruno," I said hotly. "Her name is _Haruno_ Tsubaki."

Both Uchiha brothers gave me a strange look. What the hell was so strange about Tsubaki having MY last name?!

"_Anyways_," said Itachi, idly glancing over his shoulder. "It appears the main event is over and that gives us very little time. Although…" a frightening grin spread over his face. "I imagine both Sand and Konoha will be too wrapped up in the Yondaime Hokage's son to pay attention to _our _situation."

"Wait, what?!" I demanded. "Yondaime Hokage's son? Who?!" I had a gut feeling, but I was afraid to think about it, much less say it out loud.

Itachi chuckled, saving me the trouble. "Have you SEEN photographs of the two? There is no denying the resemblance between him…and little Naruto."

I tried to wrap my mind around this, but I couldn't. I forced myself to talk. "Naruto's the Yondaime Hokage's son. His own father imprisoned that fox inside him. Is that what you're telling me?!"

"So not everyone knows the Yondaime had a child," said Itachi, shaking his head. "Perhaps the populace might've had more appreciation for Naruto if that were the case."

"People are naturally afraid of what they don't understand," said Sasuke in a cold, dead voice.

I stared incredulously at him. "Wait, you KNOW about this?! How long have you known?! Does Naruto know?!"

"That doesn't matter." Sasuke slowly rose to his feet. "You didn't come looking for me to chat, did you Itachi?"

"No." Itachi readied his sword. "But I felt like talking to you nonetheless. After all, we're about to fight. We've come so far in so many years. Show much how much you've…improved under Orochimaru's tutelage."

Sasuke quickly obliged him. All of a sudden both Uchihas were engaged in a very quick-paced fight. And all of a sudden I didn't want to be anywhere near there. If I wasn't wounded, I would've gotten the hell out of there.

But I was stuck. And that wasn't a good thing at all.

It'd be nice if I could give a play-by-play of Sasuke and Itachi's fight, but I wasn't paying attention to it. I was too busy trying to secure an exit for Tsubaki and me and look around for any allies. But with each explosive blow, I couldn't help but wince. Sasuke was getting exactly what he wanted. But nobody was happy about it. I was fairly sure Sasuke wasn't too happy about it, either.

I still couldn't believe it, though. Naruto was the Yondaime's son? But Itachi was right; there was too much physical resemblance between the two. I'd seen the Yondaime's photo only in passing a few times, but I remembered it well.

It made sense, too. Why would the Yondaime choose a random baby like Naruto to put that demon in? What better choice than his own son.

_And now Naruto's lost it. You really fucked up, Hokage-sama._ I wasn't one to disrespect elders in such a way, but it hurt. Naruto had to suffer through that all alone his whole life and now he was living everyone's nightmare.

Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, me…what was gonna happen when everything just _stopped?!_

"Hey."

I screamed, so completely wrapped up in myself I hadn't noticed Itachi's sudden approach. I feebly tried to crawl away, but his foot connected with his sternum, knocking the wind completely out of me.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked calmly, pinning me to the ground with his foot. I couldn't move. "I can't just let you up and leave. Not when you have _that_ with you."

I tried to struggle, but I had very little strength left. I couldn't do anything as he reached down and picked Tsubaki up out of my arms loosely by her blanket. She could easily slip loose and fall to the ground. Thankfully (or not), Itachi took her into his arms and got a good look at her.

He stood there in silence for a long time, just staring down at her. I didn't know what he wanted to do with her and I could do nothing thanks to his foot.

Finally, he said, "She looks like my mother."

I don't know if Tsubaki moved him in some way, but it definitely distracted him. An explosion of light came from the left side of Itachi's face and he went flying. Thankfully, Tsubaki flew out of his arms and I quickly caught her. She was unhurt but immediately started crying.

Sasuke stood there, his whole body emitting lightning, his expression so dark I couldn't look him in the eye.

"You keep your hands off my daughter," he snarled dangerously. The Chidori's light was flashing blindly in his right hand.

Horrified, I turned to look at Itachi. The older Uchiha was struggling to his feet. I could see dark blood dripping from his head and he was cupping a hand over the left side of his face.

Finally, he straightened and turned to face Sasuke, breathing heavily. Blood was seeping between his fingers and down his face. Absently, he removed his hand and looked at it. I cried out and covered my eyes at the damage to his face. His whole left side was bloodied and scorched, pieces of tissue hanging loosely on his cheek. There was no denying Sasuke was strong. To do that much damage with one blow…and while Itachi was distracted…

"Well, little brother," said Itachi, his voice oddly calm. "You knocked my left eye out. I'm quite impressed."

"You have only half power with your Sharingan," said Sasuke savagely. "Not even your Mangekyo Sharingan will be useful against me." Sasuke paused for a long moment before he said, "This is the end."

Itachi said nothing, his hand idly returning to his face. I mustered enough courage to look between the two of them again, but my stomach was churning. This was so awful. Why did this need to happen?

Itachi closed his good eye and I braced myself for whatever he might do. Most likely the Tsukuyomi. I'd have to close my eyes, but I couldn't stop looking at him.

Finally, his eye opened. But he didn't do the Tsukuyomi or anything like that. His eye had gone back to normal.

"…Indeed," he said finally. "It really will be the end for us now."

I was stunned by his tone of voice. He didn't sound like Itachi at all. He almost sounded…sad.

Sasuke gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. His control was starting to slip. "You did this to me, you bastard. If it hadn't been for YOU, I might've actually made something of myself other than THIS. I might've actually been a father to Tsubaki. But you FUCKED EVERYTHING UP!!!!!!!" he shrieked. "I fucked up _her _life—" Sasuke pointed to me. "I created a baby that'll probably be more fucked up than I am!!! And Naruto—everyone—my friends—" his voice cracked and it tore at my heart. But his head raised suddenly and his eyes and face were full of hatred. "This ends _now_!!!!!"

Itachi stared at him, silent through Sasuke's tangent. He waited calmly without flinching at Sasuke's words.

But when Sasuke finished, he spoke. "I know. This is what I always wanted."

Sasuke stiffened violently. My jaw dropped.

"What…what did you say?" said Sasuke very quietly.

"Do you think I did this for the hell of it?" asked Itachi, his voice beyond its usual emotionless tone. Sasuke looked frightened by Itachi's sudden change in demeanor and this in turn made me even more scared. "Did it ever occur to you _why_ I murdered our whole family?"

"I don't care," snarled Sasuke. "I don't care!!!"

"Of course you do," said Itachi harshly. "This is ME we're talking about, Sasuke. Knowing my reasons matter more to you than my death. YOU know that and I know that!!"

"SHUT UP!!!!!!!!" shouted Sasuke. His right hand started glowing again. "I'm going to kill you!!!"

"You're only giving me what I want," said Itachi.

That made Sasuke stop dead. His arms drooped uselessly to their sides and he stared at his brother in shock. I stared between the two of them, unable to comprehend the situation.

"…Sasuke." Itachi's voice sounded strange. "Even now you understand nothing."

"……I—"

"No, you don't understand a _fucking thing_!!!" it was Itachi's turn to yell and I started shaking. "Even now you're blind to the real picture!!!!!"

Sasuke looked at his brother with a cold pleading expression. "What real picture?"

"Us!!!!!" yelled Itachi. "The Uchihas!!!!!! Look at us!!!! What do you see?!?!"

"…I don't know." Sasuke sounded weary…no, beyond exhausted.

"Death," said Itachi, almost imploringly. "The Uchiha line, the Kekkei Genkai…it's all _death_."

"W-What are you talking about?" I stammered.

Itachi ignored me. "_Think_, Sasuke…the Mangekyo Sharingan, our family rituals…death."

Understanding flashed across Sasuke's face, but I was still relatively confused.

"You see now? Death. Our clan, our Kekkei Genkai…it's drenched in death. An endless spiral over and over and over again…we kill our dearest friend to attain the highest Sharingan. Only the strongest are accepted in our family and the weak…death. It's an inescapable curse of the Uchihas. With each technique we learn we shorten our lives. We're killing machines slowly killing ourselves. Do you understand?!"

"Are…" Sasuke's voice was shaking. "Are you telling me…that you murdered our _whole family_ to end this death cycle?!?!"

"…I think you know the answer to that," said Itachi.

"Then why…" Sasuke was beyond angry now. "WHY THE FUCK AM **I** STILL ALIVE?!?! WHY DIDN'T YOU KILL ME?!?! WAS I SO MUCH OF A DISGRACE BACK THEN THAT YOU COULDN'T END OUR 'CURSE' RIGHT THEN AND THERE?!?! WHY?!?! TELL ME NOW, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!!"

I whimpered, clutching Tsubaki tighter to me. I had no idea what to do in this situation; it was beyond me. I felt so helpless and I hated it.

Itachi took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he spoke again.

"You're alive…to kill me."

I knew it wasn't the answer Sasuke wanted, but it was the one he was getting.

"I'd planned to take my own life once I'd killed everyone," continued Itachi. "I wanted to end it all right then and there. But…I couldn't. For all my strength I could not turn the blade on myself.

"Then you…you stormed into the room. I'd forgotten about you completely. And when I saw you...I knew I could count on you to do what I couldn't do. But I had to goad you into focusing on me. Your emotional high was very strong and I knew I could take advantage of it to make you stronger. But _I _was too strong as well; my body wouldn't just let anyone, much less you, just kill me. In doing so I made myself the entire focus of your life and you lived only to kill me. I knew once you became stronger than me and killed me, then you would serve out your only purpose in life and then kill yourself, the one thing I couldn't do."

Sasuke was speechless, and so was I do. I don't think anyone could respond to think.

"But…" Itachi's voice rose suddenly. "But you didn't do what you were supposed to do. You were supposed to focus solely on _me_; the last two Uchihas wiping each other out and in effect the Uchihas would cease to exist. But you had sex with some girl and got her pregnant and extended our FUCKING LINE!!!!!!!!!!" his screams sent shivers down my spine. "The cycle of death is supposed to end, but YOU throw a baby in this mess and now all three of us have to die!!!!!!!"

I was still scared, but I found my voice. "I'm not letting you near my daughter!!!!!!"

"Neither will I," said Sasuke quietly. "I…I don't care what your intentions were. This ends now."

He rushed at Itachi with full force, combining his Chidori with his sword. Itachi made a move as though to defend himself, but Sasuke came too strong. The two bodies collided like an explosion and the area became full of light. I covered my eyes and Tsubaki's, almost blinded by the light.

But then the light cleared. I raised my head to see a figure standing over a prone form. As the smoke cleared, I could see it was Sasuke who was standing. That meant it was Itachi lying dead before him.

No, wait…not dead!!! Itachi was still moving!!!!

Sasuke held onto his sword, poised over Itachi. Itachi may have been moving, but I saw him spit up a mouthful of blood. Sasuke had hit him pretty hard.

I saw his lips moving, but I couldn't understand him. Something in me wanted to hear whatever it was he was saying to Sasuke. My body was shaking, but I somehow found the strength to hunch over and stumble in their direction.

"—I want," I heard Itachi say. I managed to get within five feet of them before I lost my strength and fell to my knees.

Sasuke continued to stand there, staring down at his brother. I gathered myself up and forced myself to talk, even though I knew my words might not mean anything to either man.

"Sasuke-kun." I swallowed several times before continuing. "You've always lived…by what you want. But now…now you know your life hasn't been by what you want. It's been by what HE wants.

"Don't you…don't you…don't you want to do what YOU want? Do you want to kill your brother? To fulfill HIS wish?"

I couldn't think of anything more to say. I held my breath as I waited for Sasuke's response, if any.

It seemed like forever, but Sasuke's arms drooped. A strange sound escaped his throat and his head fell.

"Fucking…hell," he said softly. He fell hard to his knees in front of Itachi. "I don't…I don't _know_ what I want…"

Itachi stared stunned at his little brother. I could see in his face, these years of planning, seemingly crumbling in one instant.

Itachi struggled to his feet. Sasuke didn't seem to notice or care.

"You were suppose to stop this," said Itachi very quietly. "I put all my faith in you…and you failed me."

I screamed, but Itachi still raised his hand. His lips moved and a sad, lost voice that did not seem his own came out of his mouth.

"Good bye…my brother."

I didn't know what he was about to do, and I didn't find out. All of a sudden Itachi went very still and his eye went wide. Very quickly it reverted to its Sharingan form and his face twisted horribly.

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but blood spurted out violently. Blood sprayed from his chest and he looked down at it almost absently.

Then he fell forward and hit the ground hard in front of Sasuke. Sasuke stared at him like he was a stranger. Then he slowly raised his head. I did as well, not knowing what to expect. Even though not a lot could shock me anymore, I nearly screamed.

It was Sai.

"There," he said calmly. His right hand was clutching a scroll that was soaked in blood. "That solved a few problems."

Sasuke stared up at him, his mouth and eyes wide. He glanced between Itachi and Sai, stammering incoherently.

I couldn't believe it, either. "Sai…Sai, did you…_kill_ Itachi?!?!" my voice was rising to hysteria.

Sai looked down at Itachi and gave his body a swift kick. It didn't respond whatsoever. "It appears so."

"…y…" Sasuke seemed beyond comprehending of the situation. He looked back to Sai. "…Why? Why did you do that?! Were you trying to save me?! WHY?!?!"

"Why?" asked Sai as though Sasuke were stupid. He knelt down until he was eye-level with Sasuke, leaning over Itachi's body as he did so. "Because I don't like you. I despise you. You threw your whole life away and for what? For this? Well, he's dead. That purpose is over." He paused before adding, "I would never forgive myself if I'd allowed you to have your way."

Sasuke stared at him, speechless. Sai stood back up, just as various ANBU appeared in the area.

"Uchiha Itachi is dead," announced Sai. "I killed him."

ANBU grouped around Itachi, seemingly ignoring Sasuke's presence. They picked and prodded at his body.

"He has the Sharingan!!" announced one.

"Blood samples match!!"

"And the ring…" another held up Itachi limp hand with his Akatsuki ring. "This is indeed Uchiha Itachi."

Sai nodded his approval as the ANBU group around him to congratulate him. I just stared at this in shock, unaware of what to do.

Sasuke's hands rose to cover his face. His fingernails dug so hard into his face, tiny rivulets of blood ran down his cheeks. He began breathing heavily as though he were having a panic attack.

Then he started screaming. It was the most horrible sound I'd ever heard. Irrational insane screaming, over and over and over, his eyes open very wide, fixed upon Itachi's body.

One of the ANBU finally spared him and struck him on the back of the head. His cries ceased and he fell forward, the ANBU officer catching him before he landed on his brother.

I couldn't take my eyes off Sasuke. My chest was burning and tears spilling down my cheeks. This was exactly what I feared would happen. Oh, why did it have to turn out this way?

A gentle hand touched my shoulder and I jerked violently around. Anko was standing there, a mixture of relief and sadness in her face.

"You're all right now, Sakura," she said calmly. "It's over now."

I broke eye contact with her to look back at Sasuke. Even though he was unconscious, the ANBU were hog-tying him and wrapping cloth around his eyes. They certainly weren't taking any chances.

"…Maybe," I said after a moment of silence. "But not yet."


	19. Part 18

Part 18

I don't know if it was blood loss or just shock from the situation, but I suddenly felt dizzy. Anko's face lit up in alarm and the world started spinning. I lost my balance and the spinning increased before it stopped abruptly.

"Someone take the baby!!!!"

Anko must've caught me. After that everything was vague. I probably fell unconscious. Not real surprising though; it didn't know how I managed to stay conscious for so long.

I didn't stay unconscious, though. I kept waking up every so often. Whenever I opened by eyes the scene was different; I was either staring up into someone's face or looking at something really bright.

Ow…ow! My arm!!!

I woke up again and somehow managed to stay awake, even for a little while. I wasn't really lying on a bed, more like propped up into a semi sitting position. My whole body was sore, but my right arm felt numb and the crook of my elbow was stinging. My head rolled to the side to see a needle stick out of my arm attached to a long tube. A tube full of blood.

Ah, someone was giving me a blood transfusion. I could only assume that since I couldn't give blood to anybody. My eyes followed the tube right up, half-expecting to see a bag of blood. Instead I saw a machine that had another tube connected to it and it led straight down to another arm in the bed next to mine. I looked at the person who was lying next to me and didn't recognize him.

"Sakura, try to go back to sleep. You lost a lot of blood and you need your strength back."

If I had any energy I would've screamed and jumped out of the bed. Kakashi-sensei!! And his mask was OFF!!!!

"I…" I couldn't stop looking at his face. It was so…ordinary. It reminded me of the amount of trouble my team went to when we were younger to unmask him. And now here he was, maskless and even headbandless. "What…where—"

"We're in one of the medicine tents Hokage-sama ordered to be put up," said Kakashi. His mouth was rather thin and small. Sasuke would be disappointed, if he still cared. "We're still on the border between Sound and Fire. There's a lot of injured and a lot of dead. We can't return home until the wounded are taken care of."

My eyes briefly scanned the room. There were beds all around us full of injured ninja. The medic-nin were furiously taking care of the most serious cases. My stomach churned when I saw a ninja whose body was so badly burned about half his face was charred. Was this the fox's fire?

I started suddenly. "Naruto!!!"

"Calm down, he's all right. It took a while, but we got him under control. They were able to stamp on another seal, but there's no certainty it'll hold the next time he loses it."

As if by some weird coincidence, a gurney rolled past me that was flanked by ANBU. I spotted a head of yellow hair at the front and I moved forward as though to sit up.

"Stay still!!" snapped Kakashi. "Naruto will be all right. You need to focus on yourself at the moment. If you become sick it won't do Naruto or Tsubaki any good."

If Kakashi was trying to keep me calm, he was failing miserably. Just the mention of my daughter's name and I was ready to fly off the bed. At that moment Tsunade had entered the tent and saw me. She quickly rushed over and shoved me back into the bed roughly.

"Stay put or we'll put you in restraints," she ordered, staring straight into my eyes.

"M-My daughter—" I stammered.

"She's perfectly fine and under heavy guard." Tsunade let me go and turned to Kakashi. "I really appreciate this, Kakashi. We've got our hands full and with her blood type—"

"Sakura is my student," said Kakashi. "As her sensei I've failed her enough. Giving her blood is the least I can do."

Tsunade nodded. "All right, I have to see to the Hyuugas. And stay put," she snapped to me before she stormed off.

I stared down at my lap, not knowing how to feel. So much had happened so quickly. But Kakashi's words…

"Sensei—"

"Don't correct me," said Kakashi. "I'm man enough to admit where I failed. And I've failed enough to feel great shame. I could not save Sasuke, Naruto, or you from all this chaos. As you sensei I should've been there to guide all three of you, and yet I didn't. None of you should've had to face these problems alone. I know I have no right to say this, but…I'm really sorry."

Tears filled my eyes. I couldn't bear to look at him. "I…I don't blame you. And I don't think you failed us; surely Naruto and Sasuke-kun feel the same. There's…there's just some things none of us can control, y'know? It'd be nice if life was linear for us, but it's not. Nothing goes as we planned it. That's just how life works."

Kakashi said nothing to this, but I knew it was hurting him. Maybe if the whole situation went smoother it wouldn't have turned out so bad. But I didn't wish none of it happened; I felt it was the same as wishing my daughter away and I loved her so much despite everything.

"Be sure to get some rest," Kakashi said finally. "Don't worry; nothing like this will happen to you again."

There was a lot more I wanted to ask, about Sasuke and Hinata and Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. But I felt tired again and I leaned back and fell asleep.

But not for too long. Maybe not a lot of time passed, but I was startled awake by a pair of rough hands holding my own. I opened my eyes again and I felt my heart break.

"Hello, Sakura-san," said Lee, looking down at me. "I am most relieved you are alive."

His whole face was swollen in dark black and blue bruises; it was amazing he could even talk. But his eyes were shining and he tenderly held my hand. But I knew his injuries probably weren't limited to his face and sure enough, when I looked down at our hands I saw a few of his fingers in casts. He'd obviously gotten medical treatment and he had to be in a lot of pain, and yet he sat here by my side instead of in a bed.

"How is…are you okay, Lee-san?" I asked.

Lee laughed as best as he could and puffed out his chest. "Of course I am, Sakura-san!!!! It will take a lot more than some lousy attacks like I received to kill ME!!!!"

I smiled at this. "I know. How is Neji-san doing?"

Lee stilled and sat back down. "Neji-san is doing all right. He was shaken earlier, but I think he is all right now."

My throat tightened again and I looked away. "I can understand that. What, with what happened to Hinata-san—"

"Yes, that was very shocking," said Lee sadly. "But Neji-san is giving her blood right now, and—"

I leaned forward so fast I became nauseas. But I grabbed Lee by the front of his shirt with my free hand. "What?! Hinata-san's ALIVE?!?!"

"Y-Yes, Sakura-san!! Sh-She is over there!!!!!" Lee pointed with a trembling finger. I looked and felt a great weight be lifted off me. Hinata was laying in a bed hooked up to a lot of machines. She was still unconscious, but I saw the puffs of air she made through her oxygen mask. She was alive.

"How—how did she survive?" I asked numbly. It seemed too good to be true. I was certain Itachi had stabbed her for the same reason he stabbed me; to get rid of the candidates for an Uchiha heir. I was the one Sasuke chose but _she_ was the one Orochimaru chose. For some reason the thought of her being dead made me feel guilty, even though I was about as guilty for this as she was.

"We do not know how she managed to hang on for so long," said Lee. "The medic-nin said her heart was nicked by the blade, and her heart was already in terrible condition. But somehow, she lived long enough to get a blood transfusion."

"That's…" I was speechless. The fact that she survived such a horrible wound where others had died was amazing. And beyond her, laying on a bed in a similar fashion Kakashi and I were, was Neji, offering his blood and keeping an eye on his cousin.

"Neji-san wanted to save her," said Lee sullenly. "My blood type matches that of Hinata-san, but the Hyuuga family refused to allow anyone but a Hyuuga to transfuse her." Lee scoffed very softly. "You can imagine how upset the medic-nin were at this declaration and we were certain Hinata-san would die, but she hung in there long enough for Neji-san to give his blood."

"Huh…" Out of the corner of my eye I saw Tsunade reappear again, Hiashi at her side followed by several ninja who were no doubt Hyuuga. Hiashi spoke briefly with Tsunade before speaking with Neji. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but Hiashi's face was surprisingly unmoving. He finally looked at Hinata and after touching her on the shoulder briefly, he walked off with Tsunade and the others.

"That…was a little cold," I said softly.

"I am sure that was the most he could do for Hinata-san, for now," said Lee. He glanced at me. "I would not worry so much if I were you, Sakura-san. You need to regain your strength."

"…All right." I leaned back and closed my eyes. "Do you know what they did with Sasuke-kun?"

"Sasuke is under heavy guard right now," Kakashi put in. "No one's going to let him slip away. Although if what the ANBU said is true…"

"Sai killed Itachi-san."

"…I see. Well then, he has no reason to slip away now."

I didn't respond to this. My mind was still whirling. Hinata was all right, Naruto was all right, and Sasuke was with us…it seemed too good to be true.

---

I didn't know how long I slept after that. I was beyond exhausted. When I opened my eyes again, I really didn't feel any better. But my body didn't feel so sore and I was strong enough to recognize I was in the hospital at Konoha.

"Welcome back." I'd been idly staring at the ceiling lights when I heard that voice. I smiled as best as I could as I turned my head towards Ino. "You've been out almost three days, Sakura."

"Tsubaki." That was almost automatic.

Ino laughed and I noticed she was carrying something. "She's right here, Sakura." Ino quickly brought her over and placed her in my arms. "She's been anxious for you too, Sakura."

There was just an overwhelming sense of relief holding her in a safe place like this. I hugged her very tight, nearly crushing her tiny body. She'd gone through so much hell in the three months of her life; no doubt she was traumatized somehow. I knew as her mother I should've done more to protect her.

For several minutes I just sat there and held her, wanting to tell her how sorry I was and yet not be able to form any words. But she wasn't crying; she cooed happily in my ear and her tiny hands tugged at my hair. Somehow she was in good mood, but that didn't make me feel any better.

I didn't want to think about it anymore. I looked up at Ino, who was watching us with a wistful expression on her face. "Ino…what happened?"

"A lot," said Ino wearily. "After you were kidnapped a giant snake invaded here; I heard one of the other ninja call it Manda. He caused…a lot of damage." Ino winced a little. "My mom's flower shop was completely destroyed."

I ducked my head. "I—"

"Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault. Anyways, we didn't know how to contain it. But then this giant toad came around and they started fighting."

"Giant toad…did Naruto—"

"No, it was Jiraiya-sama. They fought for a long time and more of Konoha was destroyed in the conflict. But then Sand showed up to lend their support and…well, we contained the snake."

"Contained—"

"It was killed; Hokage-sama's orders. Then we all regrouped and decided to head after you. Jiraiya-sama agreed to oversee damage control here along with several other ninja and the rest went with Hokage-sama and Sand. Then we caught up with you, and…well, you know the rest."

"Actually…" I shifted Tsubaki a little in my arms. "I don't. I only know about a third of it. What happened with Naruto?"

"Um…" Ino looked uncomfortable, but she probably knew I was gonna ask these questions. "When Hinata and you were stabbed he just lost it. He started screaming and yelling and trying to fight Itachi and anyone who tried to restrain him. And then…everything just turned red, like the world was on fire. And everyone just started screaming. It was…it was really bad.

"We were so wrapped up in the fox that we didn't notice that sand creature. Then all of a sudden the two started fighting and it destroyed _everything _around us. A lot of ninja died because they were in the wrong spot.

"Finally Hokage-sama, Gaara-san, and a few others managed to get Naruto under control and put a temporary seal on him—he's here now in one of the private wings. That Shukaku thing disappeared abruptly; I think the Akatsuki took him back. And…here we are."

"What about Sasuke-kun?" I asked

Ino shrugged sadly. "I don't know. I tried asking around, but nobody's talking about him. I imagine they still have him under guard somewhere."

I gave this a moment's thought before tossing aside my covers. "Ino, help me."

"Sakura, I told you I don't know where Sasuke-kun is—"

"All right, then take me to Naruto." I attempted to climb out of bed while still holding onto Tsubaki.

Ino grabbed my shoulders. "Sakura, you need rest!!!"

"I slept for three days," I growled. "I think I'll be fine."

Ino let me go and sighed heavily. "…Hokage-sama's gonna kill me…" She put an arm around my waist and helped me stand.

"Thank you, Ino."

"Don't thank me yet; Naruto's under heavy guard, too. I don't think they'll even let us in."

"It's worth a shot," I said firmly.

Surprisingly, we faced no difficulties leaving the room. Not even any doctors or nurses came around to yell at us.

Ino seemed to have trouble supporting me while I held Tsubaki. Somehow, we managed to navigate down the hospital corridors.

I could sense Naruto's room even before we rounded the corner. There was a definite concentration of chakra coming from one of the rooms. That didn't happen accidentally.

We were barely within five feet of the room when we came toe-to-toe with an ANBU officer.

"This area is off-limits by order of the Godaime Hokage," he snapped. "I must ask you to leave immediately."

"I'm Haruno Sakura," I retorted. "Naruto's my teammate and friend. I want to see him."

My name didn't have much effect on the ANBU, nor did my demand. "I said no one shall pass."

"Oh, c'mon!!!" I cried, forgetting who I was talking to. "I just wanna see him!!! I'm not gonna hurt him!!!"

"_No_," he said sternly. "And if you persist I will have you detained."

That stopped me briefly. I didn't wanna be arrested, even for something like this. Still… "I just—"

"Please let the girls pass," said a voice from behind me.

I turned around as best as I could, happy and relieved beyond belief. "Kakashi-sensei!!!!"

"Kakashi," said the ANBU calmly. "I have my orders from Hokage-sama."

"I don't think the girls will disrupt the Justus put," replied Kakashi. He looked down at us. "Will you?"

"Of course not!" I said.

"How would we?" demanded Ino.

"There you go," said Kakashi, looking amused.

The ANBU officer sighed heavily. "…Fine. But _I_ won't take responsibility if something happens."

"Understood." Kakashi brushed past us and headed towards Naruto's room, waving casually over his shoulder. "Let's go."

"R-Right," said Ino. We followed him quickly to the door. I half-expected some sort of jinx on it, but Kakashi opened the door like he would open any other door. Even so, Ino and I were hesitant as we followed him inside.

Now…I didn't expect anything fancy, but I was still surprised at how _normal _Naruto's hospital room looked. Then again, I also didn't expect to see him sitting up in bed, eating a bowl of Ichiraku ramen. Several of them, in fact. Empty bowls and used chopsticks littered the floor, while dozens of steaming bowls sat around his bed as though waiting to be eaten.

"HEYA!!!" he yelled, waving to us. Ugh, he was talking while chewing. "How are ya, Sakura-chan?!"

"I'm doing all right," I said, barely avoiding tripping over a used bowl. Ino shoved me into a stool next to the bed. "I see you're doing fine!!!"

"Of course!!! I feel fine!!!" He slurped more noodles noisily and I winced involuntarily. "Iruka-sensei said he wanted to spoil me a little and so I said I wanted ramen!!! And LOOK!!!!!!" he waved a hand around. "He bought me as much as he could!!! And he said he'll buy me more tomorrow!!!!!" He flashed a peace sign at me. "I feel GREAT!!!!!!!!!"

"I'm…glad." I rubbed my forehead with the back of my hand and tried to smile. "I'm glad you're okay, Naruto. When I found out what happened…" I trailed off.

Naruto quickly sobered up. His face fell and he looked down at his half-empty bowl. "I…I don't remember all that happened. But I…" he gripped the sides of the bowl tightly. "When Hinata and you were stabbed, I thought you both died. And then…and then I just got so _mad_ and I wanted to hurt him. No." he shook his head. "I wanted to _kill_ Itachi. I wanted to make that bastard pay for EVERYTHING he's done!!!!"

His body started shaking. I remembered Sasuke's condition after Itachi died and I reached for Naruto.

Suddenly, his head shot up and he smiled at me. "I know. I know Sai killed him. I hate to say it, but I'm relieved. I didn't want Sasuke to kill his own brother. I didn't want things to end up like this, but I'm glad Sasuke didn't do it."

"Me too," I admitted sheepishly. "But I wish something else could've been done for him…"

Naruto shrugged. "The whole thing sucks, but there wasn't a lot either of us could do since Sasuke never asked us for help. This reminds me…" He suddenly jabbed his finger out. "YOU still haven't told me anything!!!!!"

Kakashi looked up from his book, the usual smut of course. "Huh? Were you saying something, Naruto?"

"Pay attention!!!" Naruto punched the mattress. "What's going on with Sasuke?"

"Hmm…" Kakashi contemplated this before answering. "I'm afraid I'm not at the liberty to answer that."

"WHY YOU—"

"But if you have any other questions, like say, oh I don't know, Hinata-san—"

"What?!" I cried. I heard an echo and I was dimly aware that Naruto had said this too.

Kakashi looked surprised and glanced between us. "Oh, so it _is _a hot topic for you two then?"

"Just tell us!!" snapped Naruto. "I already know she's alive, but is she all right now?!"

"Yes," said Kakashi plainly. "Should we be concerned?"

"Her heart's already been damaged before!!! And that bastard stabbed her in the fucking heart!!! There's a difference between being alive and being just there!!!"

Just then, the door snapped open. "Excuse us, we're coming in."

All of our heads turned in shock at the new arrivals. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped when Hinata came into view, somehow walking on her own, surrounded by Kiba, Shino, and Neji.

The ANBU officer stood in the doorway. "…The Hyuugas pulled rank on me—I mean, I have allowed the Hyuuga heir to visit as well." I distinctly heard him say under his breath, "I'm _so _gonna get fired…"

"HEEEEY!!!!!" yelled Kiba, running over to slap high-five with Naruto. "You don't look too sick!!!!"

"I can't stay in bed forever!!!" laughed Naruto, stretching out his arms.

"You seem to be doing all right," said Neji. His voice was neutral but his face…well, he looked worried at least. "How soon will you return to active duty?"

"As soon as I can," said Naruto confidently. "Having Sasuke back doesn't end our problems. We still have the bulk of the Akatsuki to take care of."

Wow, Naruto said something intelligent!! I was impressed!!!

"Of course, if being here means I can eat as much ramen as I want, then I ain't complaining!!" He picked up his bowl and slurped the remaining noodles down. Well, so much for intelligence…

Hinata coughed a little and forced a smile. "I-I'm glad you're all right, Naruto-kun…"

Naruto abruptly tossed aside the bowl and all of us winced as it clattered across the floor. At least it didn't break. "That's funny coming from you, Hinata. You're the one who almost died."

"Yes. But…um…" Hinata started looking uncomfortable. And I'm sure the whole room looking at her didn't help matters.

"Do you wanna sit down, Hinata?" I offered, standing up.

"Um…uh…okay." Hinata meekly walked past me and took my seat.

"Well!!" said Kakashi cheerfully. "I think we visited long enough!!"

"Huh?!" demanded Naruto. "But you just got here!!"

"Yes, and I have things to take care of at the moment. I'll see you later." We all watched Kakashi depart with some range of confusion.

An arm went around my waist and I found myself being pulled towards the door. "I think we should get going too."

"Ino—"

"We should go too," said Shino quietly.

"Huh?! Why?!" demanded Kiba. "We've barely said two words to each other!!!"

But somehow everyone was making their way out of the room. I got the general sense that we should let Naruto and Hinata talk alone. I knew why, of course, but Naruto looked as clueless as ever, never mind how worried he'd been for Hinata earlier.

Ino and I were the last to leave. But something in me wanted to stay. Even if it was a private conversation, I still wanted to hear it.

"Leave me here," I said quietly, motioning to a curtain by the door. "I wanna stay."

"You're gonna eavesdrop, Sakura?!" asked Ino incredulously.

I shrugged. "It's not like it's an intimate conversation, right?"

"Your sensei seemed to think otherwise." But Ino carefully sat me down on the floor in front of the curtain and took Tsubaki from my arms. "We'll come back in soon and I'll make it seem like you left with us."

"Thank you."

As Ino closed the door behind her I drew my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them. And then I waited.

"Huh. Everyone's so weird," Naruto complained. "I don't know why they just left us alone like that."

"Um…um…" Man, Hinata alone with Naruto wasn't doing much better than with a group of people. "Do…you feel all right, Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah; I feel great, actually. But they're still keeping me in here. I think they're afraid the new seal won't hold on me."

"……Perhaps. But…I was surprised. I didn't know that you had the nine-tailed fox sealed inside you, Naruto-kun."

"It's no big deal. Not a lot of people our age know about it. Well…after what happened I'm sure a few of them have a pretty good idea now." Naruto started sounding uncomfortable. "Now that I think about it…maybe the jutsus set in this room aren't so much to contain me as they are to keep all those people out."

"…I…"

"I can hear what they're saying, y'know? From outside. Some of them are blaming me for what happened."

"T-That can't be!!" cried Hinata. I was stunned too; how in the hell was ANY of this Naruto's fault?!

"Well…Sasuke is the prodigy child and the one of the two remaining Uchihas. And I'm sure a lot of them are sick of blaming Sakura-chan for this. And…well, I know a few of them didn't wanna find fault in Orochimaru, being one of the Sannin—"

I just realized no one had told me what happened to Orochimaru. Even Naruto only spoke of defeating the Akatsuki. Did he die in the battle? I wanted to make him pay for everything he did me, to Sasuke, to Konoha…well, okay, more for what he did to me. I felt cheated somewhat.

"B-But you're not to blame, Naruto-kun!!!" Hinata cut Naruto off. "Y-You fought bravely even when our comrades were dying around us!!! You helped rescue Ts-Tsubaki-san!!! If y-you are to blame for this, th-then _I _should be blamed to for being Orochimaru's intended child-bearer!!!"

I still didn't want to imagine what might've happened if Sasuke agreed to go after Hinata. But that left another unanswered question for me; the reason behind his choosing me.

"…I don't get it," said Naruto quietly. "Everyone always tiptoes around me. They treat me like an idiot or a child or whatever. But you don't, Hinata. You _never_ did. How come?"

I slapped a hand over my heads. My God, Naruto really WAS that stupid!!!

Hinata for her part seemed incapable of answering him. She started stammering incoherently, much to Naruto's growing confusion.

"Well, this is a compelling melodrama," said a voice next to me.

I nearly screamed and had to press my hand over my mouth to prevent this. "S-Sai?! When'd you get here?!"

Sai shrugged neutrally. "A little while ago; I wanted to check up on the idiot. Looks like he's doing fine."

"He's well enough to eat an endless supply of ramen. But keep your voice down, please."

We sat there in silence for several moments, Hinata still stammering behind us.

"…I saw him today," said Sai quietly. "Sasuke."

"What?!" I hissed, grabbing at his collar. "How is he?!"

"Let me go." Sai pried my hands off him. "Jeez, why do ugly girls act so compulsively?"

I let the insult slide, even if it angered me. "Tell me!!"

"All right, all right. He'll still unconscious; they've got him heavily sedated. I imagine he'll come around within the next few days. And I doubt it'll be pretty…"

This information quickly sank in. It was still hard to believe Sasuke was home, but how much good will it do for us? For him?

"—not use to people worrying about me," Naruto was saying. "Even Iruka-sensei never took it too far. Well!! At least I have people who like me now!!"

"Y-Y-Yes!!!" said Hinata. "E-Everyone likes you very much!! You're strong and you have good humor and you inspire others!! What's there not to like? I like you, after all—"

Hinata made an abrupt 'eep' sound and I gasped. Did she just _confess _to Naruto?!

"Who's there?!" Naruto demanded, obviously hearing my gasp. I tried to shrink into myself, as if that would make me disappear.

No such luck, though. Sai quickly stood up and whisked aside the curtain. "Oh come now!!! Is it such a crime to want to hear such a heartfelt conversation?"

Hinata's whole face turned red and she looked like she was about to faint. Naruto didn't seem to notice this. "Why'd you bother giving us "privacy" if you gonna just snoop around?! That's just rude!!!"

"Um…uh…" Now it was _my_ turn to be stammering. I quickly shot to my feet. "I'm leaving now. I'll see you later, Naruto!!" I pushed open the door to have several bodies spill into the room. Only Neji and Kakashi stood up straight in the doorway, though it was quite clear _they _had been eavesdropping too.

And this time, Hinata _did _faint. Even if it was cold, I took that opportunity to escape in the confusion.

"Leaving without your daughter?" asked Kakashi. I noticed he was holding Tsubaki, not Ino. Then again, considering she was just crushed under a few boys I was rather relieved about this.

"Here," I said, holding my arms out. Kakashi gave her back to me. "Sai said he went to see Sasuke-kun and that he's sedated. Is that true?"

"Yes," said Kakashi grimly. "We're gonna have to keep a very close eye on him until he…adjusts to the situation."

"I see…" I glanced down at my daughter and then back up at him. "Kakashi-sensei…what happened to Orochimaru and the rest of Sound?"

Kakashi's answer was matter-of-fact. "Dead. Sasuke gave him a rather fatal blow and then he was caught up in the fight between the two demons. Unfortunately, we were not able to recover his body, nor that of Kabuto. I'm sure Kabuto's alive out there."

"So…it's only the Akatsuki now?"

"Correct."

I rubbed a hand over my face. "It all seems so…rushed."

Kakashi shrugged. "It took us three years to get to this point. I don't see what's so rushed about it."

---

It was several days later when I was roughly woken up in the middle of the night. Even though I was almost fully recovered, Tsunade insisted on keeping mein in the hospital. I didn't know why but I had two assumptions: 1. they wanted to keep a close eye on me, and 2. my house was no longer standing.

But when I woke up, I wasn't thinking about this or about my worries. I was irritated for my deep sleep being interrupted.

"Sakura-san, _please_ wake up!!!"

My eyes snapped open at that voice. "Tenten-san?!" I came awake very quickly. "What's wrong?!"

"It's Sasuke-san. You HAVE to reason with him!!!"

I was out of bed before I realized it. "Reason with him?! What's going on?!"

"He woke up earlier today. Hokage-sama put him on trial as a Missing-nin and gave him two choices; surrender all knowledge about Orochimaru, the Akatsuki, and techniques he learned the past few years, or be put to death as most traitors are."

I didn't need to think twice about what he chose. "He chose death, didn't he?"

"His execution is set for tomorrow evening. Right now the guys are trying to reason with him, but…Sakura-san, you HAVE to talk to him!!!"

I threw a robe on over my hospital clothes. "Where is he being held?"

"The sealing chamber in Hokage-sama's building. But—"

"Please watch Tsubaki for me."

"Wait, WHAT?! Sakura-san—"

But I was out the door before she finished. The hospital seemed deserted, but I didn't give it much notice. No alarms even went off as I ran out the front doors.

I was pleased about my recovery; even my serious wound had healed enough for me to run relatively well. As I ran towards Tsunade's building, I was able to see the remnants of the city for the first time. My room had no window and the hospital staff never allowed me to leave the grounds and I could see why. It was just so…horrible. It was even worse than the time Sound and Sand invaded us. Almost every building I passed was heavily damaged. How long would it take us to rebuild? I tried not to think about it as I got nearer.

I was barely to the front doors when I heard loud shouting coming from the interior. And I mean _loud_. If Tenten was right, then this was the right place.

It didn't take me too long to find the sealing chamber. I saw a handful of ninja standing around in the hallway in front of a pair of widely open double-doors, all of them looking grim. I quickly recognized one of them though, leaning on the doorframe.

"Yamato!!!" my teammate glanced at me as I ran over to him. "What's happening?!"

"Aren't you suppose to be in the hospital?" he asked calmly.

"I ran all the way here; I think I'll be fine. What—"

"Take a look for yourself." He waved a hand inside.

I slowly stepped into the room and was taken aback. When Tenten meant "the guys", I didn't expect she meant the rest of my teammates, Hinata's teammates, Ino's teammates, and Tenten's teammates all packed into the room, all of them yelling. I looked around the outreaches of the room for Kakashi, only to see him _within_ the crowd, along with Gai.

It was certainly a shocking sight.

"Do you think after EVERYTHING we went through to get you back that we'll just let you DIE?!?!" screamed Naruto, after most of the shouting had quieted down. "How fucking selfish can you be?!?!"

"…I didn't ask any of you to bring me back here." I clearly heard Sasuke's voice, even though I couldn't see him. I hesitantly walked deeper into the room. If Yamato had any objections, he didn't voice any.

"Your fucking mission is fulfilled!!!" snapped Shikamaru. "Itachi's dead!!! Isn't that enough for you?!

Sasuke said something, but I couldn't hear him. Whatever it was, it didn't make Shikamaru or the rest of them happy.

"This is such a waste of time!!" complained Shikamaru. "We've been here for _five hours!!!_"

"Then leave," said Sasuke. "I already made my choice."

"And it was a stupid one," said Sai. He squared off with Sasuke. "You're not choosing death to repent for your crimes!!! You're just pissed at me because _I_ killed Itachi!!!" He leaned his close. "You hate me, don't you?! You wanna kick my ass, don't you?!"

As I moved closer, I got a glimpse of Sasuke. His head was ducked, but his face was very pale. The rest of the boys looked red in the face, as though they really HAD been yelling at him for five hours.

"…Maybe I'll let you take a shot at me," said Sai. "After all, I was only able to kill Itachi because you knocked his eye out and distracted him. It'd be nice to _really_ fight an Uchiha at the top of his game."

"Sasuke," said Naruto, his voice now calm. "You got this choice when no one else did because everyone knows how much pain you're in. Everyone knows that you were just a kid when you left, that something else should've been done to help you through your problems. None of us can change that. But you're here now. Itachi is dead. Wasn't it your original intention to return to us anyways after you defeated him? Well, it turned out differently, but you're here!!! WE'RE here!!! Don't turn your back on us again!!! Let us help you!!!

Naruto's words struck a cord in me. All three of us were connected with our tragedies, but Naruto and I were able to open up to those around us and heal. But Sasuke…

"…I've made my choice," said Sasuke after a moment of silence. "Nothing can change my mind now."

Tears were already starting to spill out, but I took a step forward. "Sa—"

I didn't get the chance to finish. Naruto's fist shot out and punched Sasuke in the face. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!!!!!!"

Sasuke staggered from the blow, but somehow stayed on his feet. But Naruto wasn't done yet.

"It doesn't matter to you how much you hurt us, does it?!?! You were my best friend!!! And I know _I _was _your_ best friend when you tried to kill me for the Tsukuyomi!!!! We've gone through HELL to get you back and you just don't fucking care!!!!!!"

Naruto coiled his fist back for another punch, but someone beat him to it. Lee's fist shot out and punched Sasuke in the face.

"What about Sakura-san?!?!" he roared, tears in his eyes. "What about Tsubaki-san?!?! Will you abandon them as you've done so?!?! Will you not take care of them?!?!"

"—better off without me—" Sasuke managed to grumble out before another fist struck him.

"That's not YOUR decision!!!!" My jaw dropped at Kakashi. Never had I seen him lose control like this. "You aren't some child anymore who can get away with misdeeds!!!! You're an adult, an adult who got a girl pregnant for selfish reasons!!! Just because those reasons never followed through doesn't absolve you from responsility!!!! You have a duty to take care of Sakura and your daughter!!!" Kakashi grabbed Sasuke by the collar and shook him so roughly that Sasuke's head rolled around on his neck. "Be a man and stop being a coward!!!! OWN UP!!!!!!"

Everyone started yelling at him again. I couldn't take it anymore. "Please stop it!!"

The shouting stopped abruptly and everyone but Sasuke turned to look at me. All of them looked shocked, but none of them looked ashamed. Kakashi let Sasuke go and Sasuke fell hard to his knees.

I walked over to them. No one protested this; they even made way as I neared Sasuke. I came to a stop in front of him, but he didn't look up at me. "I heard you're being put to death tomorrow, Sasuke-kun. Is this true?"

"……Yes," said Sasuke. "But it was my choice."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Sasuke-kun…be honest with me. Are you doing this for pentence? Because you think it'll make me happy? Or is it because of what Itachi-san said?"

"…_the last two Uchihas wiping each other out and in effect the Uchihas would cease to exist."_

I slowly knelt down until I was sitting in front of Sasuke. "…Ifa that's the case, then you're continuing to follow Itachi-san's will. He wanted you to kill him and then yourself. Well…he's dead and you're choosing to die.

Sasuke said nothing.

"Do you _want_ to die?!" I demanded.

"Yes." The answer seemed automatic.

"Why?! Because of Itachi-san?!"

"My mission has been fulfilled. There is nothing else for me to do."

"You can be a FATHER to our DAUGHTER!!!!" I screamed. "You can repay in LIFE for your crimes!!! You don't need to die, that's why Tsunade-sensei offered you an alternative!!! Goddammit, LOOK AT ME!!!!"

I took several deep breaths, hurting inside but not touching him. Something in me wanted _him_ to make the first move.

Finally, his arm rose and his hand touched my face, cupping my cheek. Such a familiar gesture with so many people watching us was so unlike Sasuke.

Then he raised his head. His face was hardened, but his eyes looked so sad. I could see how much he was suffering. "Why do you want me to be part of Tsubaki's life? Do you have any idea how fucked up I am? And you…she exists because I _violated_ you. You shouldn't want to have anything to do with me!!! Why are you fighting for me, Sakura?!?!"

I raised my hand and covered his. More tears were spilling out, but I looked at him right in the eyes. "Because I love you, Sasuke-kun."

That'd always plagued me, my feelings for him despite everything. Even with Tsubaki's conception, his plot with Orochimaru…I shouldn't have wanted anything to do with him, but I still loved him.

Sasuke ducked his head again. "That's so twisted…"

"It's the truth," I said plainly.

"I fucking RAPED you!!!!" he yelled. "I screwed up your whole life!!! You can't _love_ me!!!"

"But I do."

Sasuke's hand dropped from my cheek, but I clutched it to my chest. "How can you say this to me?!?! You…you can't—"

"I love you, Sasuke-kun. It hurts me to admit it, but it's true. I want you to live. I want you to be in Tsubaki's life. I want—"

"SHUT UP!!!!!!" Sasuke broke free of my grip, tearing away some of the fabric of my robe as he did so. I don't care, though. "Don't try to change my mind, Sakura!!!!"

"Do you really wanna die when we all want you to live?!" I cried. "Why must you continue to bend to Itachi-san's will, even though he's dead?! We want you to LIVE, Sasuke-kun!!!! Live and heal!!! Won't you give us a chance before it's too late?!?!"

Sasuke said no more to me. He hunched over his knees until his forehead touched the floor, his whole body shaking.

I leaned over him, wrapping my arms around his middle, resting my head on the small of his back. "We're here, Sasuke-kun. _I'm _here, Sasuke-kun. We want you to live. Please live. Please…"

I kept repeating those words over and over again, unable to stop, hoping the repetition would somehow change Sasuke's mind.


	20. Part 19

Part 19

"All right, that's enough. The decision is up to Sasuke."

I heard Tsunade's voice and her words, but I didn't wanna let Sasuke go. A whimper escaped my throat and I only hugged Sasuke tighter.

"Sakura." Now she addressed me. "This meeting is over now. Go back to your room at the hospital."

I felt hands on my back and arms trying to pull me off. "Stop it," I muttered, trying to shake off those hands.

"Sakura, you've done enough," said Tsunade. "There's nothing more you can do."

"Hokage-sama's right," said Kakashi, his voice much calmer now. I realized _he _was the one trying to pull me off Sasuke. "In the end, it's all a matter what Sasuke wants to do. If he'd rather take the coward's way out, then…"

"No…" I was sounding like a baby, but I didn't want Sasuke to die. I just wanted…I wanted to do _something_.

"Sakura, please—" said Tsunade.

"Sakura." This came from Sasuke. His voice was calm as well. "Let me go."

"Sasuke-kun—" I began.

But Sasuke didn't wanna listen to me. He forcibly sat up, making me let go of him. His pale face didn't look neutral anymore, but he didn't look very talkative, either.

"Let's go now, Sakura," said Kakashi. He tried to pull me to my feet, but I was in a panicky desperation. I lunged forward, somehow breaking free of him, and kissed Sasuke hard on the lips. I don't think I've ever done anything so spontaneous. Then again, I wasn't exactly thinking rationally.

Sasuke's lips were so soft; it took me off-guard. He was indifferent to the kiss, not responding to it whatsoever.

But he didn't push me away…

The kiss itself couldn't have lasted more than ten seconds, but it felt like time stopped for me. But then Kakashi got hold of me again, pulling me away from Sasuke and to my feet.

"Sasuke-kun—" I started struggling, but Kakashi was still very much more powerful than me. "Try to—you must—just—_don't die!!!!_" by those words I was screaming on the top of my lungs. "Think of our daughter!!!! _Think of our daughter!!!!!_"

Sasuke didn't react to my words, either. He just watched me as I tried to fight off Kakashi, but he inevitably overpowered me and dragged me from the room.

"Thank you, Kakashi," said Tsunade. "There's a lot I have to take care of, but I appreciate the help."

"It's not a problem, Hokage-sama," said Kakashi. "We've done all we can with this impromptu meeting. I don't want Sasuke to die, but…I don't think there's anything else I can do at this point."

"There's nothing _any _of us can do," said Tsunade grimly. "In the end, it's all a matter of what _he_ wants."

I didn't try to contribute to their conversation, even to argue with them. I felt numb inside, unable to put up a fight anymore. I didn't wanna acknowledge the situation or reality. I just…I don't know.

Before I knew it, I was back in my hospital room. Tenten seemed surprised to see us, but I didn't pay attention to whatever Kakashi and her were talking about. I didn't feel the hug she gave me or the pat on the shoulder Kakashi gave me. I only noticed anything when the room was in silence and I realized I was alone.

I sat cross-legged in the middle of my bed, staring down into my hands. I felt like I was twelve again, begging Sasuke not to leave the village.

"_I love you more than anything!!!"_

I felt like I was losing him all over again. This time, however, he was gonna die.

Tomorrow he was gonna die.

I didn't get it. I tried all I could to convince him to live and stay, but it wasn't enough.

It wasn't enough.

I heard a coo and looked up. Tsubaki was awkwardly crawling around in front of me, her little arms shaking as she tried to support herself on all fours. She lost her balance and fell against my legs, but she picked herself back. She seemed to notice me as though she didn't realize I was there. She reached out to pat me on the knee and fell on top of my leg. She started giggling.

My throat tightened and my eyes burned as I looked down at her. She crawled up my leg into my lap and looked up at me, without a care in the world. You never would've guessed the trauma she suffered in her small lifetime. My daughter and Sasuke's daughter…

"Oh, Tsubaki…" I was crying again as I took her into my arms. Her tiny warm body gave me great comfort, but it also made the pain worse. How could Sasuke NOT want to be in her life? She deserved so much better than this!!!

Then again, so did I.

Tsubaki was confused by my emotions, as she was in a much better mood than I was. Her mood began to sour and I could tell she was about to cry. I lay down on the bed both of us on our sides facing each other, cradling her to me and quietly hushing her. Thankfully, her well of tears dried and she quickly fell asleep.

I lay there awake for what seemed like a long time, staring idly into the darkness of the room. I tucked Tsubaki closer to me, her head snuggled into my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut and sobbed quietly, trying to not startle Tsubaki awake.

Sasuke would die tomorrow. And there wasn't a thing I could do about it.

---

_I knew I was dreaming. I'd been startled into this dream by a surreal presence. My eyes opened partially…yes, I could see some light. But the room wasn't lit; it had to be coming from the hallway._

_I should be panicking. Even the presence of the nurses checking up on us never woke me up. And yet this intrusion did._

_I opened my eyes again; I hadn't realized I'd closed them. Someone was standing over the bed, looking down at us. But I couldn't turn to look at them. I almost panicked, wondering if this nightmare was about my captivity under Orochimaru. But I felt like I was lying in a bed, not on the ground._

_A hand reached out. I watched it as it hovered over Tsubaki briefly before it gently touched her head. The hand stroked her hair, running their fingertips ever so slightly against her cheek. Tsubaki didn't wake up; another indicator of a dream. Something like this might've disturbed her._

_Then the hand was gone. I closed my eyes, wanting this weird dream to end. I was almost startled to feel a hand touching MY head, fingers running through MY hair and touching MY cheek. My heart standing pounding wildly, but strangely…I wasn't panicking._

_Those fingers…they were touching me so innocently, but my scalp started tingling. My cheeks felt warm. It felt…nice._

_Then the hand was gone. I still lay there curled up with my daughter. This was all much unexpected. So it was no surprise to me when a body leaned over me and I felt something soft brush my cheek._

_And I wasn't scared. I had a sudden strange awareness that everything would be all right. _

--- 

A foot kicked one of the legs of my bed, startling me awake. I quickly sat up, clutching Tsubaki to me. Something registered to me, even before the other person in the room. The bedcovers had been pulled over us. We hadn't fallen asleep like that; it was on _top _of the covers. I wouldn't think twice that I somehow did this myself without disturbing Tsubaki.

"Oi!!!"

I looked up to see Kotetsu and Izumo. Izumo waved a hand at me. "C'mon, up and moving!! Hokage-sama wants to see you!!!"

I vaguely wondered why they would be delivering a message from Tsunade when the situation dawned on me. I yanked the covers up to my chin. "How DARE you come into a girl's room?!?!"

Kotetsu shrugged. "Hokage-sama's orders. She demands to see you immediately."

"Fine, now get out!!" I yelled.

Kotetsu and Izumo seemed to find the situation amusing, but they left me alone to change. I got into some loose clothing I generally wouldn't be caught dead in, and I put Tsubaki in a cute smock dress before wrapping her in a thick blanket. My suspicions about my house were growing each day, particularly since the clothes I was being given for the two of us didn't belong to us. But didn't worry about it.

As I turned to leave the room, I looked outside. It looked like it was midday. Why did she want to see me? To give me another round of 'it's all Sasuke's decision'? It didn't wanna think about it.

I followed Kotetsu and Izumo towards Tsunade's building. I'd rarely left the hospital and I felt a little self-conscious being outside with so many people out. It was even more disheartening to see people open watching us and pointing at us and obviously talking about us.

_Don't think about it, don't look at them_, I ordered myself.

Thankfully, it didn't take us too long to reach Tsunade. But the surprises didn't stop for me. As Izumo opened the door and announced us, something quickly caught my eye.

Sasuke. He was sitting in one of the two seats facing Tsunade's desk, his head down. Did this mean…?

"Come right in, Sakura," said Tsunade, waving me in. "Thanks, you guys. You can leave now."

Kotetsu and Izumo left, closing the door behind them. I looked from Tsunade to Shizune to Sasuke and back to Tsunade. "Tsunade-sensei…what—"

"Take a seat," said Tsunade. "And we'll explain everything."

I slowly walked over to the chair and sat down, my eyes slipping over to Sasuke. He didn't look at me.

"A lot of people, particularly your teammates, wanted input on this," started Tsunade. "But I feel this is more of a family matter.

"If you hadn't already guessed, Sasuke had…a change of heart early this morning."

"REALLY?!?!" I screamed, jumping to my feet. "You chose to live, Sasuke-kun?!?!"

He didn't answer me, but I knew well enough. I felt like a big weight was lifted off me. Sasuke wanted to live!!! He was gonna live!!!!!

"Please sit, Sakura," said Tsunade. I did, feeling incredibly light-headed and happy. It was the best news I've heard yet. "Now…there's the ramifications you'll need for choosing to live."

"I understand," said Sasuke quietly.

"Normally, this matter would be handled publicly as a warning to those who might want to desert us," said Tsunade. "But like I said, I turned it into a family matter." She stood up. "Stand, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke stood up and squared his shoulders, staring at Tsunade.

"As Godaime Hokage, I hereby make this decree," she said solemnly. "You are stripped of any and all honors as a ninja. You will hold no rank as a ninja and you will not participate in the goings of Konoha as a ninja unless in extreme emergency, as I _do _mean extreme. You are classified as a civilian living within these walls. So long as you live you are not allowed to set foot outside this village, unless once again due to extreme emergency.

"You are to report to me and all Hokage who succeed me twice in the day; as it begins and as it ends, to tell me of your plans and your progress. You are not to keep secrets and you are to report _everything_ of your day; keep in mind being a former Missing-nin returning makes you forfeit your privacy. If you are found in violation of any of these decrees, you will be arrested on the spot and your fate will be decided.

"I must remind you that we very rarely take our Missing-nin back and let them live. By allowing you to do this is an extreme sign of weakness in the face of many other villages. But we have made this exception for you based on these terms. Do you understand these terms?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," said Sasuke.

"Shizune," said Tsunade.

Shizune stepped forward and slid a giant packet across the desk. I vaguely noticed she was holding a giant pile of packets. "Here is your contract, which lists most everything Hokage-sama has told you. Read it carefully and sign it. Even though you are no longer classified as a ninja, this is a binding contract like a ninja's."

"And if it is violated, you won't have the luxury of having your comrades come to your aid," said Tsunade. "Understood?"

"Yes." Sasuke took the packet and sat back down. He read each page carefully and started signing. I could only assume each page required a signature. I was still in a state of shock. They were being very heavy towards him; I didn't know if any of that was necessary.

"Now, there's the matter of Tsubaki," said Tsunade. She turned to me. "Do you want Sasuke to be part of her life?"

"Yes, I do," I said, adjusting her in my arms.

"All right, then," said Tsunade, waving to Shizune a second time. Shizune took two more packets and put them on the table. "This is a custody agreement."

"Wait, what?!" I demanded, jumping to my feet. "I don't remember making custody arrangements!!!!"

"Sasuke and I talked this morning. He's agreed to give you full custody of Tsubaki and pay child support. However he requests to see her on occasion, when the two of you can make arrangements. And parental rights can change at any time with _your _say-so, Sakura."

I picked up the packet and started reading it. I was upset they did this without me, but it was entirely in my favor. I had primary custody of her and it was entirely up to me if Sasuke could see her. It was beyond anything I could've asked for.

"All right," I said finally. There was only one line for me to sign. "I accept these terms. Tsubaki loves Sasuke-kun and I want him in her life."

Sasuke said nothing to this, but he finally looked at me. I tried to smile, but he didn't seem pleased.

"Well then," said Tsunade. "Now there's the matter of how you will PAY for the child support. Since you are forbidden from being a ninja, there are not a lot of job opportunities for you. But…I do have an opening you might be interested in."

"What's that?" asked Sasuke.

"Being my accountant."

That was the exact same job offer I turned down months ago!! I choked and looked at Sasuke. He seemed rather miffed about this job offer and he sat there in silence for a few moments.

Then he said, "All right. I'll do it."

"Congratulations, you're hired!!" said Tsunade. Shizune pulled out yet another contract. "If you'll sign this, you can start immediately and we'll get your wages started at 7,000 yen per hour."

"7,000 yen?!" I cried.

"Babies are expensive, as you must know, Sakura," said Tsunade.

Sasuke simply signed the contract without complaint. "Anything else?"

"Then there's this," said Shizune, plopping another contract on the table. How many did they draw up in the past few hours?!?! "Sasuke would like to make Tsubaki an Uchiha heir."

"W-What?!?!" I cried, staring at Sasuke. "B-But, why?!"

"She's my daughter," he said. "And I want to give her a home."

"But she already has a home at MY house!!!"

"Um…Sakura—" began Shizune.

"It was destroyed, wasn't it?" I said miserably.

"Did you see your house?" asked Tsunade.

I shrugged and slumped in my seat. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out why you guys kept me in the hospital even after I recovered."

"By making Tsubaki the Uchiha heir," said Tsunade. "You'll be legally allowed to live on the Uchiha compound; Sasuke has already expressed no interest in living there."

"…I'd rather return to my apartment," said Sasuke.

"However," said Tsunade. "By agreeing to make Tsubaki an heir, she will have to take the Uchiha name and _not_ the Haruno name. But we won't do it without your permission, Sakura."

I stared down at Tsubaki. "…We'll be living in that giant place alone?"

"Yes," said Tsunade. "By clan laws, only Uchihas and relatives of Uchihas can live there. That means _you_ are allowed there, Sakura, as the heir's mother, but no one else is."

"I…see." I didn't like the idea of living in that compound all alone with Tsubaki, where all the Uchihas were slaughtered. But then again, if my house was destroyed we were homeless. And I didn't wanna mooch off anyone…

"If I sign this…" fingered the contract. "Then Tsubaki will be Uchiha by law?"

"Yes," said Tsunade.

"Where does that leave me?"

"You'll still have primary say over her, even though you're not an Uchiha by blood or marriage."

I skimmed the contract. It was as clean and cut as the custody one; each working in my favor.

I glanced at Sasuke. "Do you really want her to be an heir, Sasuke-kun?"

"…No," he said. "I think it'll put a stigma on her. But as an heir she'll gain special recognition and she'll be under greater protection. And she'll have a place to live."

I looked down at the contract again and then at Tsubaki. This would be the deciding factor of her entire life. I was so afraid of what to choose, of what could happen whether or not I allowed her to be an Uchiha. She couldn't even have a say in it. Would she resent me later?

She started fidgeting in my lap and stretched her arms out to Sasuke. We both looked down at her awkwardly. I swallowed before speaking. "It looks like she wants you to hold her, Sasuke-kun?"

He said nothing, but he held out his arms. I reached over and handed her over. Tsubaki seemed rather pleased to be held by him. Sasuke of course wasn't one for emotional expressions, but he looked at her and handled her very tenderly. I felt an overwhelming sense of relief at seeing this. Somehow, I knew that even if the village failed Tsubaki, Sasuke would protect her.

I turned back to the contract. My hands were trembling, but I signed it anyways. "All right. I agree to let her take the Uchiha name and become an heir."

"Then that takes care of everything," said Tsunade. "As you said, Sakura, you're pretty much recovered. If you'd like to check out the Uchiha compound today, you're more than welcome to."

I nodded. "I'll go there as soon as I can."

---

Tsunade was right; my house was destroyed, along with most everything in my neighborhood. Where my house use to be was now a pile of splintered wood. It was incredibly disheartening to see this. Sure, I had mixed memories of that house; living my childhood there and finding my dead parents there, but it'd been my home. And now…it was all gone.

Even if I had misgivings, I was glad that I agreed to live at the Uchiha household. I was too exhausted to try and put my ruined house back together again.

Silence. That's the thing that struck me about this place. As I drew nearer to the compound, pushing Tsubaki in a stroller, I all I heard was our own noises and the wind rustling. There wasn't anybody around; not even birds.

I hesitated before those giant double doors to the Uchiha household. They were padlocked. I took several deep breaths as I fumbled with the keys Sasuke gave me to undo the locks and it took me several minutes to take them down.

When they were all undone, I just stood there. I was terrified to go inside. I didn't know what to expect; surely not the dead bodies Sasuke found when he last went through here. But I forced myself to breathe and I pushed open the doors.

It was still very quiet. And the place looked larger than life. It's obviously been built to hold the entire Uchiha family and not for two people. It was just so…empty. Not even scavengers had gone through here.

"Okay, honey," I said to Tsubaki, pushing the stroller as we entered the main area. I didn't dare close the gates; I'd feel trapped inside if I did, even if they were unlocked. "Let's look at our new home."

Tsubaki looked all around us in wonderment, obviously not aware her family had been killed here. I was too afraid to go inside the empty buildings, but I got a sense that this place was…clean. Not sparkling, mind you; dust and dirt covered the outer buildings. But it didn't _feel _like dozens of people were murdered here. It just felt like a…ghost town.

_They must've cleaned the whole place up after they found the bodies,_ I surmised to myself. Inwardly I was grateful; if I had to clean up dried blood over ten years old, knowing it was a relative of Sasuke's, I wouldn't be able to handle it.

I reached a building I was sure was Sasuke's old house. His parents had been murdered in there as well. I finally mustered up enough courage to open the front door. The entryway was so…ordinary. I looked at the front entrance, seeing the area where you take off your shoes. Sasuke and Itachi and their parents had gone through here everyday before…

_Stop it, _I ordered myself. _This isn't a haunted house unless YOU turn it into one._

I removed my shoes and picked up Tsubaki. We left the entryway (ignoring the staircase) and walked towards the main area of the house. I was surprised to see most of the furniture intact; it was as if whoever cleaned up here before wasn't willing to do more than that. And as I expected, everything was covered in dust.

"Home sweet home," I muttered to myself, feeling emotionally weary. I didn't explore anymore that day. That night, we slept on the first floor.

---

I was just about to get ready to clean up the place when I got wind of a gigantic mission; the annihilation of the Akatsuki. The strongest ninja would be involved, split up into teams to find and attack the Akatsuki.

My friends were amongst those chosen for the mission.

Even though I had Tsubaki to take care of, my first instinct was to sign up for the mission. I was a Medic-nin after all and I wanted to do something to help everyone.

I should've known Tsunade better, though.

"Absolutely not," she said hotly. "You're still on maternity leave and I won't allow you to leave your daughter alone!!!"

"But—"

"No buts!!! As Hokage I forbid you from participating in this mission!! You're gonna have to stay here with the rest of us and see the end results!!!!"

"Tsunade-sensei, I'm a Medic-nin!! I know many jutsus that could help everyone!!! I—"

"I said no and I mean it!!! The debate is over, Sakura!!!"

So that was that. There was nothing I could do to help everyone. It made me angry for a while, but that subsided when I was playing with Tsubaki. I found I couldn't bear the thought of leaving her alone again. If I left on this mission, the chances were high that I would die. And Tsubaki had already been hurt enough that she didn't need the risk of losing her mother.

But everyone was else was going. Naruto, Sai, Kakashi, Ino, Hinata, Lee…a whole bunch of them were going together and weren't gonna return for a long time. I knew I probably see a few or maybe all of them again.

_Don't think like that!!_ I ordered myself. _They can do this!! They're all very powerful in their own right!! And lots of others will be doing this as well!!!_

It was still difficult to think about. I was glad there was a lot for me to do at the Uchiha house in terms of cleaning. Even if Tsubaki and I were only living in Sasuke's old house, I was determined to clean up all of them. I distracted myself by scrubbing rooms, furniture, and porches clean of dust and dirt. Naruto and the others wanted to help me, but I said no. They had a lot to focus on as it was, and loading myself with work was incredibly refreshing.

I'd noticed that Naruto and Lee seemed to be avoiding me. Not entirely, though; they stopped by to see me from time to time. But I could sense a gap between us. It had me puzzled for a while, wondering why they were so distant. We were close, weren't we?

"_I love you, Sasuke-kun. It hurts me to admit it, but it's true."_

I'd been replacing the shoji screens in one of the houses one day when that thought came to me. I'd poured my heart out to Sasuke to convince him to live, and I'd done it in front of everyone. Including Naruto and Lee.

I really was insensitive. I knew those two had feelings for me, and that…it was a wonder they were still talking to me. I'd used them both and for what? I still loved Sasuke; that hadn't changed all these years.

I felt so horrible.

"I'm not a very good friend, Tsubaki," I said quietly, blinking back tears. "Everyone must think I don't care about anyone but myself and Sasuke-kun…" I glanced down at her. "You don't think like that, do you?"

Tsubaki was chewing on some shoji paper, not really paying attention to me.

"Babies are so lucky," I muttered to myself, turning back to the screen.

"Sakura-san?"

I jumped up, not hearing anyone approach. "Tenten-san?"

It _was_ Tenten. And she looked terrible.

"I'm sorry I came in like this," she said quietly. "I tried ringing your doorbell, but nobody answered."

"I-It's all right," I said hastily. "I was just putting in some fresh shoji screens."

Tenten took a few steps back to look at the screens. She forced a smile. "Are those camellias?"

"Yeah. Most of the screens around here are decorated in flowers. I thought it would liven up the place." I held out a roll. "Wanna help me?"

"Sure." She took it and we got to work setting up the screens. I knew she wanted to talk to me about something, but I wasn't rushing anything.

I only had to wait a few minutes. "I told him today."

"Eh?" I glanced at her. "Told who what?"

Tenten finished fitting the panel and set aside the roll. She turned away from the screen and faced the garden. "Neji. I told him my feelings."

The roll fell out of my hands. My jaw dropped and I stared at her stunned. "W-W-W-Wait. N-Neji-san?! The guy you like…it's Neji?!?!"

Tenten sort of jerked her head in a nod. "Didn't I tell you?"

"Well…" I awkwardly sat down next to her. "I knew you liked someone, just not who. But I _did _know it wasn't Lee-san." Sitting there I was thinking why I didn't think it was Neji sooner. He _was_ her teammate after all, along with Lee.

Tenten shrugged. "It doesn't matter. It was a huge mistake."

"Mistake?"

"I've been training nonstop for this mission. But I'm a little…nervous. This is gonna be like nothing we've faced before. So…" she fiddled with her hands. "We trained together today, while Gai-sensei and Lee trained. And…it just came out."

I couldn't even create a mental image of this. I didn't even know what to say to this.

"Neji…didn't take it well," said Tenten. She forced out a laugh. "He got really mad at me. And I mean _mad_." Her shoulders began to tremble. "He felt what I was doing was inappropriate, given the situation we're about to put ourselves into. He…" She choked on a sob. "He yelled at me real bad, Sakura-san. He _never _yelled at me before. It was really surprising." She clenched her hands in her fists.

"Tenten-san—" I said.

"Sakura-san, what have I done? I keep trying to rationalize that I needed to tell him. I-I mean, anything can happen when we leave, right? I-I-I didn't wanna tell him like that, but I wanted to tell him before we left!!! I thought this was more appropriate than telling him out in the field!!!

"But…oh, Sakura-san, I've really upset him!! I know he has a lot on his mind; he outranks most of us. But I just…" She was rising towards hysteria. "I don't know what to do!!! I don't wanna leave while things are like this between us!!! But I'm scared to do anything!!!"

"Hey…" I reached out and touched her arm. I didn't have much to say to her, but I hoped what I did help some. "Did he reject you?"

"What?" Tenten scrubbed at her face and glanced at me.

"Well…you said he yelled at you. But did he say he didn't like you?"

"I…I don't know." She thought about it. "He was speaking very quickly and really getting in my face. I wasn't really listening to what he was saying; I just wanted to get out of there."

"It's not he can hate you, right? I mean, you've been working together for years." I tried to smile. "Knowing him, he'll wanna talk to you before you guys leave so you don't leave with all…this between you."

"I guess so." Tenten took a few deep breaths. "Maybe it just upset him. I'm not usually like this. Ever since that Tsukuyomi…" she shuddered. "I guess I should talk to him and sort this out."

"I'd wait for him to approach you. If you go to him now he might get the wrong idea."

"All right." Tenten gave me a quick hug. "I doubt I'll be able to hook up with a Hyuuga, but I've been keeping this in for years. For what's its worth, I'm glad it's out in the open now. Thanks for listening, Sakura-san."

Even if it was for news like that, Tenten's visit was very uplifting for me. It gave me a little hope about my attitude towards everyone. I'd have to make amends to both Lee and Naruto before they left.

---

For all my cleaning, I'd been doing my best to avoid the second floor of the house. The Sasuke fan in me wanted to see the room he slept in as a child, but I was very conscious of the fact that Itachi's murderous rampage ended upstairs. Even with all the cleaning and sprucing up I was doing, it was still unsettling for me.

Even so, when I _did _have to face the upstairs, it came from the last source I would've ever expected.

I was playing with Tsubaki inside when a call from outside in the garden got my attention. The voice in particular got my attention and I almost couldn't believe it was true. I ran to the screen door and slid it open.

Yes, it was Sasuke. He was there, on his family's compound. He looked like he was sick to his stomach, but he stood there expectantly.

"Sasuke-kun," I said softly, taking a step outside. "I didn't expect you to come here."

Sasuke shrugged rigidly. "Today I get Tsubaki, remember? You never showed up for the designated time."

Realization dawned on me and I clamped my hands to my face. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!!! I completely forgot!!!"

"It's no problem," said Sasuke. He was looking directly at me, but I had a feeling it was because he didn't wanna look around him. "Can I come inside?"

"Are you sure you want to?" I asked, feeling horrible. Being there must be a nightmare for him. "We can go outside, and—"

"Itachi's dead. Since I'm here to stay I should probably face my demons." He slowly walked up towards me. "Otherwise, I won't have much of a healthy relationship with our daughter."

"A-All right," I stammered. "Please come in. I can make some tea, and—"

"Don't bother." He stilled when he saw the shoji screens, decorated in cherry blossoms. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he was calm. "This is your doing, I presume?"

"Yes," I said, unashamed of my decorating. "It's a lonesome place with just Tsubaki and me inside. I thought the screens would make it a lot…livelier." I was about to say 'livable', but quickly stopped myself.

Sasuke simply shrugged again and went inside. His steps were stiff as he went into what had been his house, but he quickly relaxed when he saw Tsubaki. He wasted no time in reaching down and scooping her up. Tsubaki looked just as happy to see him.

I watched them with a smile on my face. Even with everything going on, I knew the two of them could work out as father and daughter.

But as for Sasuke and me…I didn't know where _we_ stood.

Sasuke shifted Tsubaki in his arms and turned to me. "Did you give her my old room?"

"Well…" I fidgeted. "I haven't really gone upstairs. We mostly sleep down here."

Sasuke seemed surprised by this. "She can have my room if she wants. It's…undisturbed." Those words seemed to cause him a lot of pain.

"Sasuke-kun—"

"Let me show her it."

"W-wait, what?!" I cried. "You wanna go upstairs?!"

"It's something else I have to face," he said grimly. He said nothing more as he left the room to head for the stairs.

I hurried after them, my stomach in knots. For all his demons, Sasuke seemed rather at ease as he carried Tsubaki upstairs. I hesitantly followed them upstairs. He stopped at the first bedroom we saw; one I knew was his room.

Sasuke opened the door and looked inside neutrally. He stood there in silence for a little while before he spoke. "…It _does_ look the same."

He continued down the hall. I followed him, but paused at his door. It was a standard boy's room for a young boy. Even if it _was_ Sasuke's room, it broke my heart to see it. The last time Sasuke slept in that room, he was still a small boy looking up to his big brother and trying to impress his clan.

But now…

"…Itachi's room," said Sasuke, glancing inside. "…They stripped it bare. Maybe they were looking for clues." He left it like that without another word. I walked straight past Itachi's room without looking inside. I knew it was one of the few rooms in the compound that was completely empty. Even so, I'd sooner drop dead than use it as a bedroom for either myself or Tsubaki.

Sasuke had stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall. I knew it was his parent's room; I hadn't dared gone in there.

"Sasuke-kun, maybe we—" I said.

Sasuke ignored me. He looked really sick now. Tsubaki was oblivious to his feelings, chewing on strands of his hair. He took a free hand and reached for the doorknob. His hand was shaking as he did it. After what seemed like forever he grabbed the handle. And turned it. And opened the door.

I looked over his shoulder into the room. His parent's room was another room stripped bare. He didn't step inside, but he looked from the doorway. His eyes were cast downward; he seemed to be looking at the floor.

I wondered if he was reliving that horrible night; if he was seeing their dead bodies. If he was seeing Itachi.

Tsubaki let out a squawking laugh, her tiny hands clawing at Sasuke's hair. Both of us jumped slightly at her outburst and stared at her. Sasuke seemed to be looking at her with some measure of relief. And I think…just for a moment I saw a ghost of a smile cross his face.

"I'll be taking her now," he said evenly. "But I'll bring her back tomorrow evening."

"You can spend as much time with her as you want," I offered meekly. I didn't think one day would be enough for them.

"We'll be fine," said Sasuke, his voice back to its regular tone. "We'll see you tomorrow."

"…All right," I said reluctantly. I gave Tsubaki and quick hug and kiss goodbye before handing her back to Sasuke. But instead of leaving right away, he lingered for a brief moment. He wanted to tell me something!! My mind was racing with any possibilities.

"Thank you," he said finally. "For taking care of her. And for letting me be in her life."

"There's no need for thanks," I said evenly, though my heart was sinking. "I know you love her and she loves you too. It's only right."

Sasuke looked like he wanted to say more to me, but he didn't. He merely nodded to me and headed back downstairs.

I could hear him gather Tsubaki's things, but my eyes went back to his parent's bedroom door. He'd left it open, though probably by accident.

I walked over to the door and glanced in briefly. Even if nothing was inside, it was truly a chilling room. But there was no denying that it was his parent's room.

"Thank you," I said quietly. "For Sasuke-kun."

I closed the door and locked it. I never opened the door again.


	21. Part 20

Part 20

I had to act quickly; if I didn't, I would miss out on it.

But my hands were trembling as I buttoned Tsubaki up. I wanted to cry, but somehow kept control of myself. With some effort, I got her jacket on and we were ready.

"All right then," I said quietly, picking her up. "Let's go."

I quickly opened the front door. Sasuke was there to greet me. "You ready?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He nodded, too. "All right, then."

We took off running as quick as we could. It was still early morning; the sun hadn't risen yet and Tsubaki had made a fuss when I'd woken her up. But her surprise couldn't match mine when Sasuke called for me earlier.

"_They're leaving. Right now."_

Naruto and the others were leaving for their mission against the Akatsuki very shortly. It hadn't become public knowledge as much of Konoha was still asleep; Tsunade obviously wanted each team's departure to be as secret as possible so no word leaked out.

But Sasuke had found out in spite of this. Or, as he'd put it, "I overheard Hokage and Shizune talking about it last night."

I was surprised I didn't hear Naruto blab about it, the loudmouth he was. Then again…Naruto still hadn't talked to me much. I hoped to remedy that very soon.

We had to hurry if we were gonna make it in time. Tsubaki was crying again, my running very rough on her. But I didn't dare slow down, and Sasuke wasn't slowing either.

Finally, we reached the front gates to Konoha. It was quiet…too quiet. For a moment I thought we came too late and they'd already left. My heart dropped and I quickly became too sullen to comfort Tsubaki.

Then I heard a familiar hiss, "Scatter!!"

I nearly screamed as several people landed all around us, all of them in crouched combat positions.

"Shit!!!" yelled Naruto, jumping back to his feet. "Where'd you guys come from?! You scared us!!!"

"_Quiet!!!_" hissed Shikamaru. "You'll wake the whole village!!!!"

Naruto quickly slapped his hands over his mouth.

"Why are you here?" asked Neji coldly. "We have to leave right now."

"We know that," said Sasuke. "But we also want to say goodbye."

"Who told you we were leaving together?" asked Sai. I had time to look around at all the people in this group, and…everyone was there!!

"Are they…sending you _all _out together?" I asked disbelievingly.

"If you must know," said Neji. "We're leaving together now, but will divide separately as we travel. Technically we're one team, but we'll attack the Akatsuki from different points. Other teams are doing the same; surely you understand this?"

"Neji-san, do not insult her intelligence!!!" demanded Lee. "Sakura-san is wonderful to want to see us and look out for us, and—"

"I get it," snapped Neji. He gave me a cold glance. "We have to leave right now, so if you insist on saying goodbye, then make it quick."

I didn't know if Neji was the whole group leader or not, but some of the other guys looked pretty annoyed about his outspokenness. But no sooner did he say those words did all the girls rush over to me.

Ino threw her arms around me. "I'm really glad you came, Sakura. And you even brought Tsubaki with you!!"

"I wanted her to say goodbye too," I said, trying to make sure Tsubaki wasn't squashed between Ino and me.

Ino let me go and gave Tsubaki a quick peck on the top of her head. "She's really adorable. I hope I have a daughter as cute as her!!" there was an anxious edge to her voice. I could tell she was hoping she would be _alive_ to have children.

"I'm sure you will," I said encouragingly, forcing a smile.

A dark glint entered her eye. "Although…don't think you'll easily get away with having Sasuke-kun's child!!"

"What?!" I glared back at her. "You're still on that?!"

"Of course!! I pride myself on being better than you and look what you did!!!"

My anger quickly subsided. I could tell how much the situation was stressing her and she needed some annoying way to distract herself.

So I played into it. "Too bad for you, then."

"You—"

Tsubaki was suddenly lifted out of my arms. "It's still very nice to see you again—even if it might be for the last time."

"I'm sure it won't be, Tenten-san," I said firmly. She certainly looked better than she did a few days ago. Maybe she was able to focus on her training?

Tenten smiled at me. "I know. We're certainly going to fight for victory."

I leaned in close to her to talk so no one else could hear her. "Have you talked to him yet?"

She quickly shook her head. "No. But…he's acting like it didn't happen so that's a start. If we survive this it'll be something we'll have to work on, but…right now it's not too important."

I glanced over at Neji. He seemed to be focusing on Sasuke, who was under the scrutiny of the other guys. He was pointedly ignoring us. "…I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I guess it's better we're avoiding the subject entirely than letting it get in our way. I just won't make that same mistake again."

I gave Tenten a quick hug. "I'm still sorry."

"Um…" I was startled by the soft voice next to me. "May I…may I hold Tsubaki-san, Sakura-san?"

"Hinata, you're on this mission too?!" I cried as Tenten passed Tsubaki over to her. "B-but your wound!!!"

"I feel all right," said Hinata quietly, cuddling Tsubaki to her. "Truthfully, Hokage-sama doesn't recommend me for field duty, but I also know she doesn't do so because of my status. But…I don't want my friends to be risking their lives while I go through a long recovery."

I felt the same way as her. But I knew having an infant daughter tied me to the village more than having been recovered from a life-threatening injury. "Just be careful, all right?"

"Yes." She handed Tsubaki back to me. "I'll certainly be careful. I don't wanna disappoint my team."

"I-I meant—"

"Sakura-chan!!" I nearly fell forward as Naruto tackle-hugged me from behind. "Don't you worry!!! I'll make it back safe!!!"

"Thanks," I grumbled. "Now get off me!!"

"Oops, sorry!!!" he did get off me, but then he snatched Tsubaki from my arms. "Aww, cute little Tsubaki-chan!!! I'll be back, I promise!!!"

Tsubaki started crying. I heard Sai mutter, "The apple doesn't fall very far…"

I quickly took Tsubaki back. "Naruto, _please _show a little restraint!!!!"

"Oh, sorry!!!" Naruto laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "But I _do _promise to be back!!!"

I smiled, though it felt painful. I took him off guard by giving him a quick hug. I'd come there to clear up any bad feelings between us, but he acted like normal. And he must've had a lot to think about; that seal on his stomach wasn't as strong as the one his father put on him. Who knew when it would break again?

But the fact that Tsunade was allowing him to return to active duty for this mission despite the seal proved her faith in him. I knew I had to have a lot of faith in him as well.

"I know you'll be back," I said confidently. "Thank you…for being a good friend."

"Yeah…no problem." He didn't sound so cheerful anymore. He seemed more anxious about this current situation than about his mission. I knew about his crush on me. I'd always been annoyed by it, but despite everyone he was still a loyal friend to me.

"Thanks, Naruto." I kissed him on the cheek. "I know you'll make it through."

Naruto's whole face lit up and he looked beyond happy. He laughed and rubbed a hand on his cheek. "You betcha, Sakura-chan!!!"

"Sakura-san!!!" Lee jumped forward and puffed out his chest. "I swear that I will be back as well!!!"

I laughed and gave him a quick hug. "I know you will, Lee-san." I wanted Lee to be happy as well. Being Tsubaki's stand-in father made us both very close, and although he wanted to have a deeper relationship with me than I wanted, I still considered him a deep close friend.

As I let Lee go, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Sasuke was squarely facing Sai. Both looked stiff and poised, as if expecting the other to attack. All of a sudden I felt uncomfortable. Would they fight and draw attention to themselves?

Sai seemed to wonder the same thing. "You still want to kick my ass, Sasuke?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment before he spoke. "You tried to kill me before; I know you were acting on orders. And then you killed my brother to spite me. So…no, I don't want to fight. But we still have a score to settle when you return from your mission."

Sai smiled thinly. "Sounds good to me." He walked past Sasuke and straight towards me. I imagined he had something sarcastic to say to me.

He didn't disappoint. "Make sure your ass doesn't get any fatter before we return." Then he walked away.

"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!?!" I roared, my yell echoing for miles.

"Shit," cursed Neji. "We'd better get going."

"Yeah!!" yelled Naruto, pumping a fist. He stopped momentarily and went back over to Sasuke. He'd been over there earlier, but I could only assume they didn't say anything to each other. Maybe they would now?

They faced each other, but without hostility. Naruto raised a fist and held it out. Sasuke smirked slightly and raised his own fist to touch Naruto's.

"Thanks for living," he said cheerfully. Then he turned around. "ALL RIGHT, let's go!!!"

Very quickly, everyone took off out the gates; no doubt we seriously sidetracked them. But I couldn't bring myself to feel bad. We'd gotten to say goodbye to them, knowing it might be our last time.

_Don't think like that,_ I ordered myself, wagging Tsubaki's puffy arm with a hand. "Here honey, wave bye-bye to our friends!!"

Tsubaki laughed loudly, shaking her other arm feebly on her own.

I stood there and watched them all until they disappeared. I could feel Sasuke standing right next to me, but I didn't look his way for a while. When I did, I was taken off-guard.

He wasn't watching everyone leave. He was watching _me_. I could've easily dismissed it as saying he was looking out for his daughter, but he didn't glance at Tsubaki once. His eyes were on my face.

I couldn't think of anything to say; I just stared right back at him. Unexpectedly, my heart started beating really fast. I didn't quite understand why he was staring at me and not saying anything. My mind was coming up with different reasons, but I didn't believe them.

"_I refused to go through with it if it was anyone but you."_

I gasped slightly, and involuntarily took a step back. That seemed to be enough for Sasuke and he took off, leaving us alone.

"Oh Tsubaki," I said quietly, hugging her tightly to me. "I still don't know what's going on…"

Tsubaki only cooed happily in my ear.

---

I never realized how painful it was to be without my friends until they were all gone on their mission. Konoha just seemed so…empty without them. And my house seemed empty without their unnannounced visits.

It wasn't just Naruto and the others who'd left; it seemed like some of the most skillful ninja were sent out into separate teams with the same mission. The rest stayed behind to watch the village.

I wished I had gone with them, even with Tsubaki to consider. I could've left Tsubaki in Sasuke's full-time care; he loved her so much and I trusted he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. The kunoichi in me felt so helpless that I was unable to do anything more for them.

But…I also knew that I _wouldn't_ be much help to them in my current state. I worried about Tsubaki constantly, even while I played with her. And this mission wasn't something that could be done overnight. Who knew how long they would be gone? I'd probably drive everyone nuts from my worries.

Just being separated from her on the days Sasuke had her were painful. I almost had to force myself not to interfere in their alone time together In all honesties, I began to question my worth as a ninja. How could I possibly return to active duty if my feelings were this jumbled up?

I tried to keep myself busy. I reapplied at the Konoha hospital for my former job. They didn't exactly re-hire me on the spot, but they didn't outright reject me. I knew they wanted to run it by Tsunade to see if I should return to work.

I just…didn't know what to do. It was just as bad as when my parents died, but at least then I had my friends to stand by me. Now they were all out in the field and Tsubaki was still so young. She was entirely dependent upon me and she had no comprehension for my tormoil. It was…I felt so childish, but I didn't know what else to do.

Perhaps it was because I was so wrapped up in myself, but nearly two weeks after everyone left, I got a surprise. I finally got the gull to venture upstairs by myself and followed Sasuke's suggestion to make his old room Tsubaki's room. I put most of the furniture in storage and was busy redecorating it to suit a baby girl's room. Well…I was mostly painting it pink.

"Ugh."

That noise startled me so bad, I nearly stepped into the paintcan. I quickly turned around, paintbrush still in hand, to see Sasuke standing there with Tsubaki. He didn't bother hiding the disgust from his face.

"Um…hello," I said awkwardly. "You're a day early, Sasuke-kun." Indeed, he'd just picked up Tsubaki yesterday. I'd been preoccupying myself with her room to keep myself distracted.

"…Yeah," said Sasuke after a long moment, staring all around us. "But…you've been acting strange, Sakura."

"Strange?"

"Yeah. You just about started crying when you gave Tsubaki to me yesterday. I just thought…" he shrugged. "That you wanted her back early."

I dropped the paintbrush on the paintpan and knelt down on the floor. "It's not like that, Sasuke-kun. I'm just…stressed at the moment."

Sasuke slowly sat down as well. "I understand. I wanted to do something for everyone, even help them with their mission. But…I'm not a ninja. I can't do anything for them. And I only have myself to blame." His voice hardened slightly. "I don't know why, but Tsubaki…she makes me feel better. I like being around her."

"Sasuke-kun, she's your daughter. You love her. Of course you would like being around her."

Sasuke didn't look at me, just focusing on our daughter. "…I dunno, I thought that you might feel the same way as I do."

"And I do," I said. "I want to help our friends so much. But Tsubaki…right now, I don't want to be without her. I consider all our friends to be my family, but she's my last _true _family. If I lost her…" my throat tightened and tears burned my eyes. I couldn't bring myself to finish.

"Yeah…" Sasuke seemed to be struggling even harder for words. He continued to focus on her. "I guess…I've been full of hate for so long it's strange to actually care about someone."

"I think your hate has just blinded you."

He finally looked at me. "You just said it; that Tsubaki was the firs thing you've cared about. As sweet as that sounds, we both know that's not true. You cared about _us_, Sasuke-kun. Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, me…" I looked away. "You cared enough about Naruto to try to sacrifice your life for him numerous times. You cared enough that you couldn't kill him for the Tsukiyomi. And me…you helped me out a lot too, even when you didn't even have to. So don't tell me that you're not a caring person, because I know you are. It's just…" I glanced back at him. "Tsubaki brought out the better person in you that we couldn't reach."

Sasuke was silent for a long time. I didn't say anything either; Tsubaki's gurgling and gibberish filled the void of silence in the room.

Finally, he stood up. He walked over until he stood over me. He held Tsubaki out. "Here. We'll be going back to my place soon, but I know holding her will make you feel better."

The tears returned, but I could only smile as I took her into my arms and gave her a hug. Somehow, it was comforting knowing that Sasuke was struggling as much as I was to deal with this. More and more of the real Sasuke was coming out and back to us.

---

I got my old job back at the hospital (yay!!!) and was able to occupy my days tending to the sick. Tsubaki was tended to in the hospital daycare during the day, except for when Sasuke had days off.

Naruto and the others never left my mind. But I started getting less anxious for them. They were all powerful ninja and could handle anything that was thrown at them.

Everyday I saw the mountain with the faces of the Hokage on them, as I'd done so all my life. But my eyes always strayed to the Yondaime Hokage. Naruto didn't carry his last name, but it was still puzzling how nobody in the village seemed to make the connection between the two. Or maybe they did and just didn't care?

_Please, just bring him home safe,_ I thought up to the Yondaime. I doubt he'd listen to someone like me, but it made me feel better about Naruto. I almost wished I'd given him a better goodbye than just that; show him that I really did accept him, Nine-Tailed Fox and all.

_But, he's still my friend. He must _know_ that I _do _accept him._

Even with most everyone gone, Sasuke and I still remained. And with everyone gone, we only had each other to keep company. Not that I was complaining; even now I felt comfortable around him. He didn't seem too comfortable around me, as though my reaction to him in light of everything he'd done to me disturbed him.

"_I love you, Sasuke-kun."_

Or maybe the fact that I could still love him in spite of everything disturbed him. But he seemed to tolerate me—even if for Tsubaki's sake—so I was all right.

But…But I was still troubled about him. Even after everything, I still didn't know where I stood with him. We conceived a child together, but even in her presence we acted less then as friends, but more than as strangers. A lot has come out about him, but he still hasn't answered the fundamental question: why. Why, when choosing between Hinata and his own choice, did he choose _me_ to carry his child? Was it really simply because I was his teammate?

"_Just because I didn't fawn over you like Naruto and Lee did didn't mean I never liked you."_

I knew he liked me, but not in what way. I just didn't know _anything_ and it was frustrating me!!!

It was even more frustrating when I got mixed signals from him.

"Sakura."

One day I'd just gotten out of work when Sasuke startled me. It was one of his days with Tsubaki, but she was currently struggling in his arms, crying hysterically.

"What happened?" I cried, forgetting my own weariness to rush to his side.

Sasuke shrugged helplessly. "All of a sudden she just started crying. Nothing I've done has made her stop. I changed her diaper, I tried to feed her, and I tried to play with her…" his voice was full of exhaustion. "Please…I know you just got out of work, but can you do something about her?"

"I-I'll try." I quickly took Tsubaki into my own arms. "Here, honey. There, there…"

She wouldn't stop crying. I could see where Sasuke was getting frustrated. I walked over to a nearby bench and started singing softly, rocking her gently back and forth. Nothing seemed to work for her. I just about wanted to cry myself. I couldn't wait for her to grow up and be able to control herself a little better.

Sasuke took a seat next to me. "What song are you singing?"

"A lullaby," I said, trying not to sound irritated. "Trying singing it with me."

Sasuke looked perplexed, but I sang a few lines for him. He looked incredibly embarrassed, but he started singing along with me. A few people walked by us and gave us strange looks, but I ignored them and focused completely on Tsubaki.

Finally, that seemed to be enough for her. She calmed down and went right to sleep. Sasuke didn't bother with pretenses; he let out a huge sigh of relief and fell backwards against the bench. "I don't think I can do that again."

"Yeah…" I hugged her close to me. "But that's just about what's I've had to deal with her whole life."

"Sakura…" Sasuke sat straight. "Please. I really am trying. She's been carrying on for three hours. After nothing else worked, I thought she would just exhaust herself. But she wouldn't stop."

"She's got a lot of energy. Sort of like us."

Sasuke was quiet as he took her back. He wiped the tears and snot from her face and I was embarrassed I hadn't done that.

Then he spoke. "She only stopped when we both hushed her."

"Yeah." I didn't say anything more.

"This might happen again."

"Yeah." My heart was beating harder. What did he mean? Did he…?

He stood up. "I should get going now. I'm sorry for bothering you."

"But—" I tried to speak, but just as quickly he was gone. "Sasuke-kun!!"

He didn't look back. I climbed to my feet, feeling more dejected and angrier than before. What the fuck was that?! What kind of point was he trying to make?! He shouldn't make implications without following up on them!!!!

"Just tell me what you want, you bastard!!!!" I screamed. I started kicking the bench in frustration.

"Just what do YOU want, Sakura?"

I froze and quickly turned around. "Tsunade-sensei!!! Were you listening in?!"

Tsunade looked incredibly annoyed. And I noticed Shizune wasn't with her. "This is a public area and I'm Hokage. Don't I have a right to be here?"

I felt my face burn and I ducked my head. "I'm sorry."

Tsunade sighed heavily. "You two are a couple of idiots."

"M-Me?!" I cried. "How am I an idiot?! I'm providing for my daughter as best as I can!!! And Sasuke-kun…I don't know what he wants!!!"

"Have you asked him?"

"Uh…" I didn't answer that because the simple answer was 'no'.

"Before you can ask him, you have to think about what you want. Do you want him to live with you? To marry you and become a family with you and Tsubaki?"

"I told him I loved him!!! Isn't that enough of a message?!"

"You can love someone and still not want to be near him. But do you want Sasuke to be near you? With you?"

"I…" I closed my eyes, tears spilling out. "_Yes_. He loves Tsubaki so much. And I _do _love him and wouldn't mind if he was with me. But he…I don't know how he feels."

"Then I guess you should ask him then."

I scrubbed at my face. "But why do you care what we do?"

"Because your dancing around this subject has created a lot of gossip here and frankly it's quite annoying. Sort your issues out without hurting your daughter."

---

I didn't have much longer to wait to confront Sasuke. It'd been two and a half months since everyone else left and things were still tense between us. Sasuke stopped looking me right in the face anymore and he said very little to me when he came to pick up or drop off Tsubaki.

And Tsubaki…she was becoming a mess. I don't know if our feelings were being projected onto her, but she started getting more and more unhappy. We were depending too much on her for happiness and I think it was taking its toll on her.

And more and more, we as individuals couldn't calm her down. Only together could we do it. It was very telling, but Sasuke refused to say anything about it.

I knew _I _had to.

"Here you are," said Sasuke one evening, returning Tsubaki home. "She wasn't too much trouble for me."

I looked down at her. She looked up at me with her big eyes. I knew I couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"Come inside, Sasuke-kun." It wasn't an invitation; it was an order.

"Why?" asked Sasuke, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

"For tea." I knew he couldn't give the excuse of feeling uncomfortable on the Uchiha compound anymore; he walked freely to and fro here.

"I…" his eyes darted all around. He was looking for an excuse and wasn't finding one. After a moment, his usual cold mask snapped into place. "All right. Let's have some tea."

He followed me inside and sat quietly as I prepared tea. Tsubaki bobbed happily in her seat next to the table. It felt weird servicing Sasuke in his former house with him as the guest, but I didn't let it get to me. Sasuke for his part waited patiently as I poured our cups. Once I was settled, he started the conversation.

"So what did you want to talk about? I know you didn't just invite me in here for tea."

I drank a big gulp of tea, despite the heat, before I started. "We have something we need to settle, Sasuke-kun."

"If you believe so. What is it?"

"Why did you get me pregnant?"

His face twisted up, mostly in annoyance. "I already told you—"

"Yes, you followed orders. But you never told me why it was ME you chose. You've never even dropped a clue."

"I just assumed it wasn't important—"

"It _is _important!!!" I cried. Tsubaki abruptly stopped cooing. "I've ALWAYS wanted to know why!!! I want to know where we stand now!!!!"

Sasuke took a sip of tea, probably to distract himself. He was probably contemplating his words.

Well, what he said didn't make me feel any better. "We're raising our child with the mutual understanding that we love her and want her best interests. Why? Do you want more?"

My temper was rising very quickly. "Sasuke-kun, you already know the fucking answer to that question!!! Yes!!!! I DO want more, as does Tsubaki!!!!"

"Well, what do you want from me?!" he snapped. "You wanted me to live, I lived!!! You wanted me in Tsubaki's life, I'm in Tsubaki's life!!! What more do you want!!!"

"You idiot!!!" I punched the table in frustration. "Why do I have to keep repeating myself!!!! I love you!!!! I want to know what you're feeling!!!!"

Sasuke rubbed a hand over his face and stood up. "I have to leave now."

"You're not going ANYWHERE until I get answers!!!!" I screamed. "Why did you get me pregnant?!?! Why did you choose ME?!?! These are VERY simple and completely UNREASONABLE questions that you should be able to answer!!!!!"

Sasuke shook his head and waved his hand. "Have a good night, Sakura." He started towards the door.

"Don't you walk away from me!!!" I chased after him. "I wouldn't be this confused if you didn't make the implications that you wanted to live with us!!! Do you love me?!?! Is that why you chose me?!?! Just tell me the truth!!!"

He slammed the door shut behind him. I stood there in the entryway, unable to chase after him. From the other room, Tsubaki was crying again. I couldn't hold back my own tears as I went back to comfort her.

"I'm sorry," I sobbed, rocking her close to me. "I tried, sweetheart. I really tried…"

Thankfully, I didn't need Sasuke's help to calm her down; she went right to sleep. I took her upstairs and put her in her crib. I was proud of the job I did in her room; the furniture and the colors made it clear it was a room made for a little girl.

But now…now everything seemed so twisted.

I had no stomach for dinner. I cleaned up the tea that neither of us finished and got ready for bed. Even though Tsubaki slept upstairs, I still slept on the ground floor. I locked both Itachi and Sasuke's parent's room and I swore to myself never to go near them again. So I chose an empty room downstairs to sleep in. From the looks of it, it must've been a former sitting room, but now it was my bedroom.

I rolled out my futon and climbed upon the covers, my insides all up in knots. Was I being too unreasonable? Why couldn't he just give me those answers? I wasn't asking him to love me back, no matter how much I wished for such!!!

Somehow, I drifted off to sleep. I don't know how long I slept for, or even if I dreamed. But I was startled awake in the middle of the night. I slowly opened my eyes as I heard rustling outside. My outer door led directly to the garden. If an intruder came onto the compound, all they would have to do was open one of the doors to find me. It was a risk I chose to take over taking a bedroom upstairs. But now I regretted it.

Very slowly, I withdrew a kunai from underneath my pillow. My back was to the outer door, and I shifted as carefully as possible in my futon to make it seem like I turned over in my sleep as to not distract the intruder.

Yes, there was someone there. There was a full moon out tonight and no clouds. Moonlight was flooding the garden and I clearly saw a shadow over my door. I swallowed carefully and slowly sat up. I was far in the back of the room, so the moonlight didn't touch me. But I was still careful.

The door slid open. When I saw the intruder, I dropped my kunai and fell back in shock and relief.

"Sasuke-kun!!!" I wanted to hug him and punch him at the same time. I kicked aside the kunai and jumped to my feet. "It's late!! What are you—"

I didn't get to finish. With quick strides Sasuke was standing in front of me. His hands reached out and grabbed my arms at the elbows. Before I could react, I was pulled forward into a kiss.

I felt my knees weaken unexpectedly. All too easily I gave in, closing my eyes and returning the kiss. It felt wonderful, right. I'd wanted this to happen, to be my answer…

But then I panicked. This wasn't like Sasuke. Well, raping me wasn't like Sasuke either, but this wasn't like Sasuke, not after the shouting match we had earlier.

I gained control of my arms and pushed him away. "Wait, are you really Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at me. "Do I really need to answer that?"

"Why are you here? Is this your answer to me? Sneaking into my room and kissing me?"

"Sakura…" he closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "I don't know what to do. But…I feel good around you and around our daughter. If that's what it takes…I'll be with you."

That sounded too good to be true. Too good. "How do I believe you?"

"How do I prove myself?"

"Um…" I thought about it, though it was difficult. This Sasuke just offered me exactly what I'd been hoping for years. But I couldn't just accept it. This wasn't like Sasuke. "Why can't we get Tsubaki to stop crying?"

Sasuke looked annoyed. "Because it takes the two of us to stop her."

My heart started beating faster, but I forced restraint upon myself. "And how do we calm her down?"

"By singing to her."

"And what kind of tea did I prepare tonight?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question!!!"

"How should I know?! It tasted way too sweet for me!!!"

That was enough for me. This really was Sasuke. I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. "Do you really want to be with me? Or is it because of Tsubaki?"

"Sakura." He ran a hand through my hair. "You should've already known that I cared about you. That's why I chose you over anyone else. I trust you and I…care. I couldn't just let any girl have my baby."

"And…now?" I felt nervous. Sasuke came here in the middle of the night and the first thing he did was kiss me. There was some intention behind it. "What do you want now?"

"…I'll do whatever you want." I saw some nervousness in his face. Whatever his "plan" was, it was obviously spontaneous. "But I want things right between us. I want to…" He didn't finish, but I saw the implications.

I couldn't help but smile and slid my arms around his shoulders. "I know. I want the same thing, too."

Slowly but surely, his arms slid up my back and returned my hug. My heart was still beating really fast, but his was equally as strong. Maybe, just maybe, we could get through.

His face turned towards mine and he kissed me again. Maybe we could. It was certainly a nice idea.

It's been a long road, but the next chapter is the last one. I can't wait to see you then!!


	22. Part 21

Well, here we are: the last chapter. Really, I can't thank you all enough for your 700+ reviews for this story. Never in a millions years did I imagine I'd get so many when I sat down to write the prologue, especially after 'Rogue' went absolutely nowhere. I really appreciate everyone's kind thoughts and criticisms for this story. I know a lot of you are clamoring for a sequel, but for right now I think I might want to profile the group and their adventure to face the Akatsuki. I'll just see what I come up with.

I won't keep you waiting any further; here's the last chapter of Fallen.

Part 21

Last time had been like a dream to me. I'd dismissed it as a dream for months until I had to face my pregnancy. Now, it was very real to me.

Maybe I knew all along what his intentions were, coming here so late at night. But still, I was shaking when he started to touch me.

His touch didn't revolt me, but some part of me couldn't quite forget what he did. I flinched more than once and sometimes I was overcome with panic. It didn't help that he was being as gentle as he was back then.

Back then…

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to be calm. This was different. I wasn't drugged and Sasuke wasn't acting under orders. I love him and now I was sure he loved me…well, as much as he _could_ love someone. This was fine.

The panic started to ebb, but as our intimacy deepened so did my body's urge to flee. It would seem that this unforgivable act by Sasuke would remain unforgiven somehow. My mind and my heart forgave him, but my body…

A hand smoothed across my face. "Are you okay, Sakura?"

I opened my eyes and stared up at him. Despite my panic, it felt good to see cracks in his cold mask. His eyes were clouded over, but he looked both concerned and embarrassed. So unlike the Sasuke I knew, but it was still amusing.

Even so, I couldn't say the words and just forced myself to nod.

He pulled away from me then and sat up. "This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come here for this. There's no changing what I did to you."

Surprisingly, I didn't feel relieved at this. The panic started fading rapidly and it was replaced with an irritation. I found my voice as I sat up. "Really, Sasuke-kun. I'm okay. I don't mind, really."

Sasuke laughed sourly. "You were always a bad liar, Sakura."

My shoulders slumped and I sighed heavily. "Yeah…I guess so…"

Sasuke laughed again, but this time it was void of sarcasm. He seemed genuinely amused. He must've seen my confused face and quickly sobered up. "I was just remembering something Kakashi said once, that you'd believe most anything I said."

I pressed a hand to my face. "So now I'm returning to adolescence?! That's just wonderful!!!"

"Well, I didn't mean that, but…"

It was becoming even more awkward for us. Thankfully, that seemed to be the incentive to finally calm me down. When I took hold of his hand, none of the panic resurfaced. "I'm all right, Sakura-kun. Really, I am."

He looked down at where I held his hand for a long moment, not saying anything. I didn't know what he was thinking (as usual) but I wanted him to know I was being sincere.

Then he smiled. Or…at least I thought he smiled. "…Okay, Sakura. I'll trust you on this."

I didn't say anything more; I didn't need to. I leaned forward and kissed him.

---

I woke up alone. But that wasn't the reason I woke up to begin with. A feeling came over me. It was cold and horrible, and it was strongly foreboding.

Only one thought came to my mind: _Naruto!!!_

I quickly dressed and raced to the door leading to the garden. I cried out as I saw Sasuke standing there, his body stiff. It was still the middle of the night.

He glanced at me briefly. "So you feel it to?"

"Naruto—" I said before choking up.

Sasuke nodded grimly. "Yeah, it's Naruto."

"B-But what's going on?! It must be something _really _bad if we can both feel it!!!" Even with all my own tragedies did I never feel anything like this, not even when my parents died.

Sasuke ducked his head. "I don't know. That seal was still weak. He must've…tck…" he gritted his teeth.

Sasuke's behavior terrified me. The energy left me and I fell to my knees. "What…what can we do?"

"Nothing."

"But—"

"What do you _want_ to do, Sakura?! Just up and leave the village searching blindly?! I'm condemned and you're on maternity leave!!!"

"But—" tears stung my eyes and my throat tightened. "But Naruto…he's our teammate!!!! He's our _friend_!!! We can't just…" I couldn't finish.

"I know, Sakura. I know." Sasuke's voice was full of pain. It tore at my heart.

He turned to face me and knelt down in front of me. He brushed a hand over my face. "Just calm down. I'll go see the Hokage and out what's going on."

I simply nodded and he was gone in a flash. It was unbelievable just how much things changed in a matter of hours. We went from arguing to sleeping together and from that…

Somehow, I dragged myself to my feet and left the garden. I wandered through the house in a daze, my chest feeling close to caving in. It wasn't long before I ended up in Tsubaki's room.

She was fast asleep, oblivious as usual. I didn't touch her for fear of waking her up. I leaned over the rail of her crib and watched her sleep and tried not to think of the worst.

_You can't make it, Naruto!! You're not allowed to die!!!_

Then it happened. Just as suddenly did the feeling arrive, it was gone. The chills, the fear…gone.

But I didn't feel better. I felt worse, in fact. Where the fear and other feelings were now felt like a void. The feeling was…empty. Empty. Right then, I couldn't help but think the worst.

"Gone." The words were very painful to say. "He's gone…"

I didn't want to think of Naruto dead. But now I felt so horrible and desolate, and…

"Oh no…" I felt sick. I stumbled backwards away from the crib until my back slapped the wall behind me hard. I started hyperventilating as I slid to the floor.

"_I'm gonna be the greatest Hokage ever!!!"_

"_Don't you worry!!! I'll make it back safe!!!"_

I shoved a fist into my mouth to muffle my scream, but I was still hysterical. I squeezed my eyes shut and my whole body shook violently. Oh, why wasn't I nicer to him? Why didn't I give him a proper goodbye? And the others…what happened to them?

A hand touched my shoulder. "Sakura."

My head snapped around to see Sasuke. His face was more relaxed now, though strangely neutral. Wasn't he feeling the loss?

He continued. "I spoke with Hokage. Something big happened, but they don't know what it was. What we felt was a great deal of energy, so powerful that we could sense it all the way here. The whole village is in an uproar, wanting to know what happened."

"S-Sasuke-kun—" I stammered.

"Faith," he interrupted.

"Eh?"

"Nobody knows what happened. We'll know when we get word. But we have to have faith. Naruto's not the kind of guy who would leave us."

I swallowed thickly, wanting to believe his words. I wanted to believe Naruto was all right, but was that enough to save him?

Sasuke seemed to hear my thoughts. He gave my shoulder a tight squeeze. "He WILL come back!!! He swore he would!!! And he NEVER breaks his promises!!!!"

"_I never go back on my word!!! That's my ninja way!!!"_

I managed a small smile. Yes, Naruto and his reckless promises. But no matter what, he always sought to keep them. "Yeah…Naruto promised. He'll come back to us." _He has to come back!!_

Sasuke walked over to the crib and looked over Tsubaki. "We'll need this faith for when he does come back. I have a feeling he'll need a lot of our support."

---

We didn't get any word that first day or even the second or third. The wait's always a killer and I didn't even know what to wait for. But I could feel the tension throughout Konoha.

It really _sucked _to be out of the loop. Maybe that's why everyone strived to be the best ninja here.

I tried to remain hopeful, but it was hard when we knew nothing of what happened. I kept myself preoccupied with Tsubaki, but a baby can only take you so far. Once she fell asleep, all the fears returned.

It was almost a week before some…news got to our village. And it was big news: the Akatsuki was gone. Completely.

It could've easily been a rumor, and no one in Konoha was taking it seriously. It gave me some hope about Naruto and the others, though.

I saw very little of Sasuke during this time. The few times I did see him he looked angry and he didn't want to talk. He spent a lot of time with Tsunade both during his job and after, no doubt trying to find out what happened. Even so, I wanted to see him again. Very little had changed between us, to my growing frustration. I knew he had a lot to take care of, but I still wanted to see him.

When I finally _did _see him, it was a day after the Akatsuki rumor started circulating around Konoha and he seemed to have heard the rumors too. He definitely looked more relaxed and less angry.

I was still surprised to see him, though. "Sasuke-kun!!! Is something wrong?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm just here to visit."

I blinked at this. "But Sasuke-kun, you visit with Tsubaki on—"

"No." Sasuke's lips quirked up and he wasn't looking directly at me. He almost seemed…shy. "No, I…I'm here to visit _you_, Sakura."

My jaw dropped and my heart started racing. Visiting _me_? Sasuke?

I smiled shyly as well. "Come in, then."

Sure, this was pretty surprising. But who am I to complain?

That wasn't the last time Sasuke came to…visit me. Often he gave the excuse to see Tsubaki as a reason to come by. I wanted to think he came to see me because he really did care about me. He hadn't really visited with me personally before, after all.

The visits started increasing though, even as we waited for more news. Sasuke ended up spending the nights here at the house a lot more often. I knew the place still disturbed him, but he began getting more comfortable here especially with Tsubaki and me around.

It was almost three weeks later, still getting very little news, did I pose the big question. "Why don't you move back here, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke quickly went stiff. "Move back? Why?"

I shrugged. "Well, you're sleeping here more than at your apartment."

"…I like my apartment."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Probably. But you still come here pretty often."

"Sakura…" he didn't look at me directly. "My family—"

"Was killed here, I know it. Do you think it's any less creepy for me, living here? But you've gotten past your demons enough to spend a lot of time here. Why not think about it?"

He was silent for a long moment before he responded. "…I'll think about it."

Sasuke thought about it for two days. I woke up one morning to hear a knock at the front door. When I answered it, he was standing there with two duffle bags slung over his shoulders.

"I just hope I don't regret this," he said solemnly.

I couldn't hide my smile. "Don't worry; we'll make sure you don't."

And so we progressed; Sasuke, Tsubaki and I were all living under the same roof almost like a family. Well…through Tsubaki we were a family. Even though Sasuke and I…I knew he cared about me. Maybe I was expecting more out of him in terms of a relationship. It was frustrating, but at the same time I didn't want to feel like I was pressuring him into doing something he didn't want to do.

I don't think I'm making any sense.

Of course, this couldn't be kept between us. Very quickly Konoha found out about Sasuke's move; I guess the last Uchiha heir returning home was a big deal. I'm sure most of the talk was negative and often I heard a lot of silence when I went shopping, but nobody bothered me or challenged me directly over this.

Except, of course, Tsunade.

"Has Sasuke moved into your house?" she asked me abruptly.

I looked at a medical sheet in front of me, not really looking at her. "Yeah. What about it?"

Tsunade made a noise that either sounded like a scoff or laughter. "It looks like you sorted out your issues, although you're still the topic of gossip."

"I don't care. The village is probably looking for something else to talk about other than…" even then talking about the Akatsuki mission was painful.

"…It should interest you to know that the preliminary rumors we heard about the Akatsuki are true."

I dropped my paperwork and grabbed her shoulders. "WHAT?! The Akatsuki is really gone?!"

"As far as we know, yes. We've only heard back from a few groups and they all say the same thing."

I was so excited about this. Sasuke was living with me and the Akatsuki was gone!!!

I wanted to know more. "How about Naruto—"

Tsunade quickly shook her head. "We've heard nothing from his team yet."

Disappointment washed over me, but it gave me some hope. No news was good news, right? We would've heard about it, right?

I was giddy the rest of the day. I skipped home, humming a tune to myself. It felt wonderful to know the greatest threats to our village was gone. Sound, the Akatsuki…maybe we could live in peace for a little while.

When I got home I saw Sasuke playing with Tsubaki in the garden. It was amazing how much babies grow. Tsubaki couldn't walk yet, but she had plenty of energy to get around places.

I quickly rushed over to them. "Sasuke-kun!! The Akatsuki—"

"Are gone, I know," said Sasuke, his eyes on Tsubaki. "I heard Hokage talking about it this morning."

I took a seat next to him. "This means our friends will be returning soon!!"

"Yeah, that's true." Sasuke had a peculiar way of playing with Tsubaki. It was almost like a cat-and-mouse game.

It was almost like… "Oh, is this training?"

"No." Sasuke's answer was abrupt and harsh, taking me off-guard.

"I—"

"I'm not training her." His voice was calming her. "I don't intend to ever train her."

"Not train her?" I asked incredulously. "You don't want her to be a ninja?!"

"I never said that; I just said I don't want to train her. I'll leave her training up to you."

"But…" I fidgeted slightly. "But I can't teach her any of the Uchiha Kekkei Genkai techniques, only you can."

Sasuke paused slightly. He seemed to be pondering his words. Even so, when he did speak again it was shocking. "I've been thinking a lot lately. And I…Itachi may have had a point."

"EH?!" I cried. "You're still following his words?!"

Sasuke glared at me. "I don't condone _anything_ he's done. He's a lying murderer and I still regret I never got to kill him!!!"

"S-Sasuke-kun…" I stunned beyond belief. I'd thought Sasuke was getting better. But he still held onto all that hate.

He calmed down considerably and continued. "But…some of what he said was true. The Uchihas are bred specifically for death and in doing so we destroy ourselves."

"Oh…"

"Every knew technique we learn, we grow stronger but our lives shorten. I can tell you already that you're going to outlive me, Sakura."

I didn't like what he was saying. It made me want to cry and even hit him.

But he continued. "I don't want that for Tsubaki. I don't want that for anyone else."

"So…" I swallowed before I continued. "So you don't intend to train her or teach her anything? At all?"

"…Itachi murdered my whole family to get rid of this death curse. I hate to admit it, but he had a point. But I don't intend to kill our daughter or take my own life. I'm the only surviving Uchiha who knows my family's secrets and techniques…and I intend to keep it that way.

"I'm not saying I'll never teach her anything. But she'll never learn any of the Uchiha genjutsus, not if I can help it. Those will die with me."

What he was saying was really heavy. Even now he was complying with Itachi's will. Though…this was practical. I didn't know everything about the Uchihas, but Sasuke must be telling the truth if each new technique shortened your lifespan. Why would I _ever_ want that for Tsubaki?

If he intended to do this, never pass down how to learn them, then in a sense the Uchihas really would die off…in technique at least.

"All right," I said finally. "I understand. And you're right; I don't ever want her in that position. It's better this way."

He nodded mutely. We sat there in the garden for a long time in silence, playing with Tsubaki. Even with my big mouth it was hard to talk to Sasuke. After such a powerful discussion, I couldn't think of anything else to say. It all seemed so awkward.

It was Sasuke who spoke again. And as usual what he had to say surprised me.

"Do you want to get married?"

I nearly swallowed my tongue. I did several double takes and fell over. I couldn't believe my ears. Did he really ask that?! Marriage?! Me?! Together?! Oh my God!!!!

For a moment, I thought he was joking or even that I was _really_ imagining things. He hadn't been looking at me when…I heard that. But he waited patiently and quietly for me to collect myself. When I did, I barely had the words to speak. "What…what did you say, Sasuke-kun?!"

Sasuke glanced at me. "Marriage. Do you want to marry me?"

"Uh—uh—" This wasn't real, was it? I was probably still in my room asleep or even at work asleep. Sasuke was proposing to ME

He looked back at Tsubaki. "Well…it would make sense, right? We have a child together. We live together. We even…" he faltered. It was like he was embarrassed. It wasn't any Sasuke I was use to.

That fear welled up in me again. I grabbed his arm. "Are you really Sasuke-kun?"

He scoffed in exasperation. "Sakura, how many times do we have to do this?! Yes, I'm Sasuke!!"

"Why did Tsubaki start crying last night?"

Sasuke glared at me, clearly annoyed. "Because she had an upset stomach and made a total mess out of her diaper. That's not something I could easily forget, right?!"

Tears leapt into my eyes and my heart was beating really fast. Jubilation overcame me and I hugged him tightly. "Sasuke-kun!!! Do you really mean it?!"

"Would I ask if I didn't?"

"Do you…you must—"

"…I think you already know the answer to that, Sakura."

It was too good to be true. Indeed, my future dream was coming true, as it had been in the past few weeks. Sasuke was here with me!!! He wanted to marry me!!!

But…something didn't feel complete. I was happy, yes. However, I knew we couldn't just get married like that.

I pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes. "Yes. I want to marry you, Sasuke-kun. But not until we tell Naruto."

Sasuke looked confused for a second before he managed a smile. "All right, that sounds reasonable. He'll be returning soon, after all."

I nodded. "Yeah. We'll tell him and then we'll get married." I now had renewed hope for Naruto to return. Even though I wanted to marry Sasuke, I wouldn't until our friend made it home safe. And deep down…I wanted his approval on this.

---

A week later, the Akatsuki teams started returning to Konoha. All of them looked worn out and scathed, but many were alive. A lot of teams were lacking members and we didn't need to ask to know that a lot of people died. But it was good to see them home.

Still…we didn't see Naruto's group with these teams. And we didn't hear anything directly from the others; nobody said a word. I knew some of them must've known _something,_ but they weren't talking. Whatever they had to say, they told Tsunade directly.

Finally, I saw a familiar face in these groups: Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei!!!" I completely forgot myself and threw my arms around him.

"Ah—ow, Sakura!!" Kakashi looked all right, but his left arm was in a sling. "Calm down!!"

"Kakashi," said Sasuke evenly, getting right to the point. "Do you know about Naruto?"

Kakashi's face twisted up in what looked like confusion. "You mean…you don't know?"

"Know what?!" I demanded.

But Kakashi quickly looked cheerful. "Ah, it sure is good to be home!!!"

"KNOW WHAT?!?!" Both Sasuke and I yelled.

Kakashi gave us a surprised look. "Speaking in unison now? My, you two are pretty close now!!!"

"Yeah, we're getting married when the others return," I said neutrally, folding my arms over my chest.

Now Kakashi looked REALLY shocked. "M-Married?! The two of you?!"

"Yeah," said Sasuke off-handedly.

Kakashi seemed to ponder this and a sinking feeling grew from the pit of my stomach. What if he didn't approve? He was our teacher, after all. I'd hate for him to be disappointed.

But my fears were put to rest as he hugged the both of us tightly. "Ah, my two students are wedding!!! I feel so old, being single and unwed while my precious students raise a child and marry each other!!!"

"Um, okay?" I said in confusion, awkwardly hugging him back.

Seeing Kakashi was uplifting, but we didn't see anything of our friends. And Kakashi's comment didn't make me feel any better.

"_You mean…you don't know?"_

"Why didn't he just tell us what he knew?!" I demanded, kicking the stove in frustration. "How are we suppose to interpret what he said?!"

"I don't think it's bad news," said Sasuke. "He would've told us if it was. But it must be pretty big if nobody's saying anything."

I sighed heavily. "This is becoming too much for me. I don't want to be this stressed forever. I just want _somebody_ to tell us our friends are all right. That Naruto's all right. Just…anything."

Sasuke came over to me and slid an arm around my shoulders. Perhaps with our close intimacy and our upcoming marriage he was becoming more comfortable around me. I couldn't get him to really initiate any hugs, though. "They'll be fine, I just know it. None of them are quitters, especially Naruto. They'll come home to us and we'll tell them about our wedding and half of them will hate us. But they'll come home."

I nodded. "They'll come home."

---

Thankfully, we didn't have much longer to wait. Less than a week later we got word that Naruto's group was coming home. A few ninja (including Kakashi) went out to help them home safely. It turned out to be a good idea, as they were all home less than two days later.

Sasuke literally pulled me off my floor at work and told me the news. We left Tsubaki in the care of the hospital nursery and ran as fast as we could for the main gate.

The main gate was swamped with people, many of them cheering or crying or reacting in some way. I pushed down my fear and made my way through, trying to count all the familiar faces.

I saw several of them almost immediately, like Ino and her team. I couldn't help myself; I ran over and hugged all three of them, even though I was looking for Naruto. "You're all right!!"

Ino laughed, which made me feel even better. "Of course we're all right!!"

"Please don't hug me again," grumbled Shikamaru.

"I'm sooooooo hungry!!!" whined Chouji. "Where can I get some food?!"

"Is Naruto okay?" I asked suddenly.

"Oh, um…" Ino's face changed. "Naruto…"

I was about to become hysterical when I felt a tug on my arm. "Naruto's over here. He's alive."

"REALLY?!?!" I screamed, quickly overcome with joy. Sasuke hurriedly pulled me towards a group of medic-nin and ANBU. A few ANBU seemed to be looking directly at Sasuke, but they let us pass.

Naruto was being gently lowered onto a stretcher by Kakashi, Sai, Lee, and Yamato. His eyes were partially open, but his bare chest rose and fell in shallow breaths. Why was his chest bare? Where was his jacket?

But that didn't matter. He was alive!! ALIVE!!!!

"NARUTO!!!!" I shrieked, startling a few people next to me. I pushed past Sai and jumped on him, throwing my arms around his shoulders. "Oh Naruto!! You're here!!! You're home!!!"

"H-h…hey…" his soft mumble in my ear was almost painful to listen to, but I was too happy to care.

"Careful now," said Kakashi, pulling me away. "He's still very weak."

"Ugly still has a narrow scope of vision," scoffed Sai behind me. I ignored him.

"Naruto…" I ruffled his hair gently. "You kept your promise. We were so worried about you…"

"…Sorry," he mumbled. "Got a little…" he trailed off slightly and then continued. "Where—"

A hushed silence swept through the crowd. I glanced up to see various members of the Hyuuga clan walk straight through the crowd without hassle. Another thought leapt to mind. "Is Hinata-san all right?"

"Hopefully," said Kakashi. "Neji said she wasn't too good, either."

I glanced down at Naruto, in his weak state. Wasn't too good, either? What did that mean?! Was Hinata like Naruto? "What exactly happened?"

"I think that's best left for later," said Kakashi grimly, watching the Hyuugas.

"But…I don't understand!!" I looked towards the front to see Hiashi, Hinata's father. He came to a stop and someone went to meet him. Neji. Augh, they were too far away!!! What the hell was going on?!

A hand batted my arm. "Hey…call the old man…"

"Old man?" I looked at Naruto. "You mean Jiraiya-sama? I don't see him—"

"No," said Naruto, his weak tone now harsh. "The Hyuuga…call him…"

"Hiashi-sama?! Hinata-san's father?!" I glanced back in Hiashi's direction. How exactly was I suppose to accomplish this?! I couldn't just walk up to the guy making demands!!!

Naruto started gulping for air. The medic-nin in me took over and I searched around frantically for an oxygen mask. "C'mon Naruto, take it easy—"

"**OLD MAN!!!!!**" he shouted as loud as he could.

Now there was dead silence across the crowd and people turned to look at us. But Naruto's yell was pretty vague, right? Nobody should know who he was addressing, right?

I looked up and saw that Hiashi and the other Hyuugas were looking directly at us. He said something to Neji and started towards us.

"Well, you got his attention all right," I snapped, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice. I just wished I knew what was going on!!!

Hiashi reached us in no time flat. He stared down at Naruto with a neutral expression on his face. I wasn't use to seeing him up close, but I could see both Hinata and Neji's resemblance in him. "I'm here. What do you want?"

Naruto reached towards the man with a shaking hand. I didn't know where he was getting this energy from. Was it the nine-tailed fox? Oh, I hate being out of the loop!!!

He flimsily grabbed the edge of Hiashi's sleeve. Hiashi didn't move away, but he didn't look pleased either.

Naruto managed a weak intimidating glare and said, "Hinata…she saved me…us all…if you…if you put the seal…because of her heart…I'll come after you…"

I glanced between the two of them, unsure of what to do. Nobody around me seemed sure of what to do either.

But I thought it was interesting, Naruto threatening the head of the Hyuuga clan. Not that he ever had any respect for leaders anyways. But what was this about Hinata saving him? And he was defending her? Very interesting.

Finally, Hiashi spoke. "Is that all?"

"Yeah…I'll be Hokage, and…" Naruto past out, his arm going limp. Hiashi stared at his unconscious body for a short while longer before walking away.

"We should get him to the hospital," said Kakashi. "You can talk to him later."

"Right," I said evenly.

"…I think I'll go with Naruto to the hospital," said Sasuke. "Do you want to come?"

"Um…not yet." I glanced back at where Neji was. "I wanna check with everyone else."

"All right, then." We went our separate ways. As I headed towards Neji, the crowd dove aside. I had to dive aside too as medic-nin rushed by with Hinata on a stretcher, her teammates close behind. I only got a brief glimpse at her, but her forehead was bare. Things looked good so far.

I quickly headed over to Neji's group. Lee was immediately alert when he saw me. "Sakura-san!!!"

"I'm so glad to see you guys all right!!!" I cried, giving him a hug. Truthfully, I was almost euphoric. Not only was Naruto alive, but it looked like everyone else was alive too. "You had us worried there for a while."

"I am sorry we caused you such worry, Sakura-san!! But I assure you by my duty as a ninja I will never seek to make you so worried again!!!" Lee struck a dramatic pose.

Tenten burst out laughing and Neji simply looked away. I noticed his right hand was wrapped up. "Are you okay, Neji-san?"

"Of course I am," he said evenly. "But Hinata-sama's needs are more vital and important at the moment."

"Neji, that bastard broke every bone in your hand!!" exclaimed Tenten. "Just go to the hospital already, damn it!!"

Neji sighed heavily. "Sakura, my only worries on this mission is this sort of whining that's plague me the past few weeks."

"You broke your hand a few weeks ago!!! Think of infections, possible amputations—"

"If I go, will you promise to be quiet?"

"If that'll get your ass moving, _yes_!!!"

"Fine, then." He turned to me. "If you'll excuse me…" then he went off.

"Neji-san is really not too bad off," said Lee. "Most of his broken bones have been reset. And he does speak truth; Naruto-san and Hinata-san are in far worse conditions at the moment."

I didn't bother asking what happened, since I expected some answer later. I addressed Tenten. "Well Tenten-san, you seem to be getting along better with Neji-san."

"Um…" Tenten's whole face turned red. "Y-Yeah. I guess so…I must go to the hospital too!!!" she rushed off.

"It has been strange," said Lee in a grim tone. "For a long time Neji-san and Tenten-san spoke very little on the mission. Then when we ran into problems, they became normal again. When Neji-san broke his hand, Tenten-san saved him. And since then…they have been most strange."

I burst out laughing. So things seemed to be working out for Tenten!! I couldn't be happier for her!!!

Lee gave me a confused look. "Why do you laugh, Sakura-san?"

"No reason." I looped my arm through his. "Would you like to see Tsubaki?"

"Of course I would!!!"

---

It was Kakashi who gave me the information I needed. And as usual, he was abrupt and to the point. "We all made it to that village relatively quickly and all-hell broke loose. We secreted in a message to the villagers to evacuate, but many stayed behind. Most of who did ended up getting killed.

"Perhaps by some Deus ex Machina—or a sick joke—Naruto ended up facing Pein. As you can imagine it was a very one-sided fight. But we all know what Pein and his group were seeking from Naruto anyways; the nine-tailed fox. So Pein did quite a number on Naruto and…voluntarily broke the seal. I suppose Pein thought extracting the fox would be like with Shukaku. Only…the nine-tailed fox didn't _want _to budge, especially not to be some pawn. And so…it completely possessed Naruto.

"We don't know what happened to Pein, but even if he's not dead that fox fire will knock him out of commission for a while. Naruto at that point lost all sense of himself and was creating a lot of hell. The whole village was destroyed. He was angry and the fox was feeding on his anger, egging him on. We figured we had to calm him down and put about a million seals on him. The only problem was, we couldn't get close to him through his whirlwind and his fire, and none of us could really see him in all that chaos. It was the Hyuugas who spotted Naruto's chakra with that…mess and so it was decided one of them had to go in and get him. But since Neji's hand was severely broken, Hinata was the only one who could.

"Thankfully, by this time some Sand ninja arrived, including the Godaime Kazekage. He offered to give Hinata a sand shield and I used my Sharingan as much as I could to foresee any attacks. It took a long time, but Hinata reached him. We don't know how she calmed him down, but it was enough to get a lot of us in there and place a whole bunch of seals on him. Unfortunately, Hinata suffered a mild heart attack, although apparently Neji has been stimulating her chakra networks all the way home. After this…mess, we ended up getting separated and everyone so injured accounts for why it took them all so long to get home. I guess we can thank the fact that though the nine-tailed fox _is _evil and destructive, it doesn't exactly want to part with Naruto at the moment. And Hinata seems to be doing all right now, though I heard the medic-nin say she might need to retire.

"And…there you have it."

I nodded mutely. "Okay…"

---

I left Kakashi and retrieved Tsubaki from the nursery. Then I went looking for Naruto's room. His room was under heavy guard again, but nobody said a word as I went into the room. Sasuke was seated next to the bed and Naruto still looked pretty weak.

Sasuke glanced at me as I took a seat. "Did you find out what you wanted?"

"Yeah," I said evenly. "How are you doing, Naruto?"

Naruto managed a feebly one-up. "Heh…I bet people are pissed…"

"You killed the leader of the Akatsuki and single-handedly destroyed their headquarters," said Sasuke. "Yeah, our village is mighty _pissed _at you."

Naruto managed a laugh. "Well…I don't mind the credit…"

I laughed loudly. "If anyone hassles you, just call me!! I'll hassle them right back!!!"

Naruto smiled toothily at me. "Thanks, Sakura-chan…"

An awkward silence swept the room. Naruto seemed particularly uncomfortable with us. I think he could sense something different between Sasuke and me. If that were the case, I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Um—" I began.

"I've asked Sakura to marry me," interjected Sasuke. He paused as though waiting for a blow. Naruto simply stared back at him, so he continued. "She agreed, but she wanted to tell you before we did anything."

Naruto was silent for a long time. He looked away from us and my chest tightened. For the way I flaunted my feelings for Sasuke in his face all these years without any regard for his feelings, it had to be tough.

Maybe it wouldn't be so hard if he said something or screamed at us. But he remained calm and collected and that made me feel worse.

It was a very long time before he said anything. "I understand. You're the one she loves, after all. So you're the only one who can make her happy."

I choked at his hurt tone of voice. I hated seeing him like this, especially in his condition. But we _had_ to tell him.

Naruto turned his head and stared straight at Sasuke. He didn't look at me. "I get it. As long as you two make each other happy—well, as long as you make her happy—then I'm cool with it."

I was relieved beyond words. I jumped to my feet and grabbed Naruto's hand. "Thank you so much, Naruto!!!"

"But!!!" he snapped suddenly, glaring daggers at Sasuke. "If you hit her or make her unhappy, I'm comin' after you. And you can bet Fuzzy Brows will do the same."

"Is that really necessary?" I demanded, letting go of his hand. "Making threats like that? And in the presence of our daughter?"

"Okay," said Sasuke. "I hear ya. I wouldn't want two guys to have a vendetta against me."

"THAT'S THE ONLY REASON YOU AGREE?!?!" I screamed, startling Tsubaki.

Naruto and Sasuke laughed at this.

---

"We're getting married."

It's almost automatic when you get use to the idea yourself. After telling Naruto and getting his approval, I told Sasuke we had to go around and tell everyone else about it too. He agreed, although he warned me not a lot of people would be happy about it.

He was right, as usual.

"That's wonderful!!!!" cried Tenten, throwing her arms around me.

"Didn't he rape you?" asked Kiba.

"You thieving bitch!!!" yelled Ino, though I was sure she was joking. I think.

"Well that's practical," said Shikamaru. "You two already have a kid together."

"Cool," said Shino.

"If you ever hurt Sakura-san in any way, I will avenge her with a _furious vengeance_!!!" roared Lee.

"Will your wedding have food?!" demanded Chouji.

"Sasuke," said Sai. "I respect you as a genius and master ex-ninja. But…you have positively the _worst tastes_ in women."

"Congratulations," said Yamato.

"Will you rebuild the house of Uchiha with new heirs?" asked Neji.

We went to see Hinata last, and though she was conscious she looked even weaker than Naruto. And her forehead was still bare. Was Hiashi taking his threat seriously or was there ever need for a threat to begin with?

"Oh…" she said softly, smiling weakly. "I'm s-so happy for you, Sakura-san. I hope you'll b-be happy."

"Thank you," I said, taking hold of her hand. "For your words and for saving Naruto's life."

Hinata diverted her eyes. "I…I didn't want him to die…"

"He understands that and he's very grateful."

Her whole face lit up. "R-Really?"

"Yeah. Also…" I sobered up a little. "I heard about your heart. Are they going to make you retire?"

Hinata's face fell. She briefly looked away. "…They can't give a Hyuuga a direct order, but I know they told my father they would not recommend me for ninja duty anymore. It…now I know my position in the family. And I know what my father must do."

"Don't say that!!" I said, fearfully thinking of the Hyuuga seal. "You can still be heir even with a poor heart!!!"

"I…I almost died several times because of it. I'm not…for leading—"

"Naruto wouldn't stand for it!! Do you know he threatened your father?"

Hinata's eyes went wide. "What?"

"Yeah, he threatened him not to put the seal on you!! And I don't see it on you now!!! Besides, do you know for a fact that your father will do that to you? Has he said he'll do it? And even if he intended to, wouldn't he have done that much sooner than now?!"

Hinata seemed to not have heard me, though. Her eyes were glazed over. "Naruto-kun…he…oh my…"

The hospital door opened. "Sorry to intrude, but I have a delivery!"

"Iruka-sensei!!" I jumped up to greet him.

"Hello Sakura! Hello Tsubaki!!" he leaned down to greet her. Then he straightened and glanced at Sasuke. "Hello Sasuke."

"Hello," said Sasuke.

Iruka turned to Hinata. I realized he was carrying a large bento box. "Well Hinata, I got an insistent call from one of my students to buy you a treat!! He said it would make you feel better!! Here, I'll set it aside until you have enough strength to eat." He moved to put it on a side table.

"No…" Hinata struggled into a sitting position. I handed Tsubaki to Sasuke and helped her sit up properly. She pulled her dinner tray to her. "I'll eat it now. Please…bring it here."

"Okay." Iruka put the box on the table and opened it. I was suddenly struck by the aroma of ramen and a smile crept to my face.

I didn't know if Hinata was a fan of ramen, but she looked so happy to see the ramen bowl. Tears even leapt into her eyes as she surveyed it. "Oh…wow…"

"You see?" I said smugly, patting her on the shoulder. "Naruto really does appreciate what you did."

"Eh?" asked Iruka. "How did you know Naruto requested this?"

We all shared a laugh.

---

And so we told all our friends. And through them the news spread across the village. The Uchiha and Haruno (though my family name held lesser significance) would wed soon.

But…as we expected, not a lot of people were in favor of our marriage. Even our friends were a little iffy on the subject, preferring to not talk about it at all. I didn't see why it was so taboo. I forgave Sasuke for what he did and Sasuke was forgiven by Tsunade herself. Wasn't that enough?

I guessed not. Now everyone stared at me when I went out. They whispered amongst themselves and openly pointed at Tsubaki and me. It was worse when it was Sasuke, Tsubaki and I out together even if that was rare. Not only did the streets go quiet but people actually moved away from us and crossed to the other side of streets so they wouldn't be near us.

It was crazy and it made me angry. But I had to think rationally too. And having a big, frilly wedding would invoke a lot of bad blood in the village that was already brewing. We weren't going to not marry each other, but there were very little options left.

"So we'll see Hokage ourselves," said Sasuke one day as we formulated our plan. "We'll just sign the paperwork and get through the legalities. Then we'll have a very minor party here that everyone is welcomed to come to."

"Yeah," I said.

Sasuke nodded to this. "To be honest, I prefer it this way. I won't want to bring a lot of attention to us right now."

"I know. I don't either."

We contacted Tsunade and then the next day we went to her office. We sent word to everyone about the celebration, though we knew for a few of them it would be difficult as they were in the hospital.

We didn't get word back, but we didn't let that get to us.

"All right, all right," said Tsunade, shifting through a huge pile of papers. "I've never done a wedding before, so don't expect it to be perfect."

"Er, thanks?" I said sarcastically.

"Please forgive Hokage-sama," said Shizune with a huge smile. "She's just as nervous about it as you are."

"Shut up, Shizune!! Ah, here they are!!" She pulled out the documents and slapped them on the table. "Just stamp these documents and you're set!!"

"Why not recite vows?" offered Shizune.

Tsunade glared at her murderously before she glared at Sasuke and me. "Do you want to recite vows?"

"Um—" said Sasuke.

"Yes," I said at the same time.

"Okay, great." Tsunade started digging through the papers again.

"Is this fuckin' wedding over or what?" asked a slurred voice behind me. "This is a boring reception!!!"

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths. "…I have no problems with a Sannin being one of our witnesses, but why does he have to be drunk?"

"I'm not drunk." Kakashi materialized beside me. "I'll make sure you two do this right."

"Thanks." I snuggled Tsubaki close to me, my eyes on the marriage certificates on the desk. My heart was hammering against the wall of my chest. _Soon…very soon my name will change and I'll be married. My childhood dream will come true._

"Here!!" Tsunade pulled out flash cards. She shifted through them. "Okay, just answer me yes or no. 'Sasuke, you seek to marry this woman and become her partner. Will you in peaceful times, during sickness, love her, respect, comfort her, help her, until death, do you promise to fulfill?'"

"Yes," he said, looking directly at me.

"And Sakura… 'Sakura, you seek to marry this man and become his partner. Will you in peaceful times, during sickness, love him, respect, comfort him, help him, until death, do you promise to fulfill?'"

"Yes." I choked on the words, but I looked at Sasuke while I said them.

"Okay, you're set," said Tsunade.

Shizune coughed discreetly and Tsunade sighed heavily. "Fucking—all right, by the power invested in me as Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure of the Land of Fire do I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Sasuke pulled me close for a briefly kiss. Jiraiya started clapping overenthusiastically and Kakashi calmly cheered us on.

"Right, now fill these out and you're legal," said Tsunade.

My heart didn't stop pounding as we went through our paperwork. My hand actually started shaking as we got to the last few pages. When we finished, I was close to tears.

"Done?" asked Tsunade. She took the paperwork and literally threw it into the filing cabinet. "And filed. Now your marriage is legal, and your name is now Uchiha, Sakura."

Uchiha. Uchiha Sakura. Sakura Uchiha. I couldn't believe it. I was married to Sasuke!!!

I wasn't able to talk so Sasuke spoke for us. "Thank you, Hokage. We'll be leaving now."

"All right, enjoy your wedded bliss," said Tsunade in a bored tone.

"Congratulations!!" cheered Shizune.

"This has been most amusing!!" laughed Kakashi.

Jiraiya was too drunk to say anything so we ignored him as we headed to the door. But then another big surprise lay on the other side.

"YEEEEEEAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

My jaw dropped. All our friends were standing there, clapping and cheering for us, throwing confetti firing poppers. Oh, Tsunade will just love that. Ino and Tenten ran over to give me hugs.

"Congrats, guys!!" cheered Naruto. He was standing front and center, though he was leaning on Sai.

Sai for his part looked pretty annoyed. "I guess I can thank you for taking this ugly girl off the market."

"HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!" I roared, starting towards him.

"Aren't we gonna have a party?!" complained Chouji. "I'm hungry!!!!"

"Um, yes," I said, redirecting myself. "We have some food at our house that you're welcome to have."

This was enough for everyone and suddenly we were making our way towards the house.

A whisper came at my ear, "Are you happy, Sakura?"

I turned my head towards Sasuke and gave him my best smile. "Of course I am. I wouldn't have married you otherwise."

His own face looked beyond relieved and he smile a little. "All right. Thank you."

I reached over and pinched one of his cheeks. "You should smile more often. It suits you…you look cute."

Sasuke pulled away, his face now irritated. "Shut up."

I couldn't help but laugh. It was incredible just how much could happen in a little over a year. But I felt happy; I genuinely did. And I knew if we kept each other happy, Tsubaki would grow up happy too.

---

---

---

Even if the direction said a minute, pregnancy tests were still a killer to wait through. The last time I bought one, the circumstances were beyond pleasant. But now…now I don't mind so much.

Finally, the results came back. What I saw on that slim little stick surprised me for a brief moment. But after that moment a smile crossed my face.

The bathroom door slapped open, startling me so much I nearly dropped the stick. "Mama, are we leaving yet?"

"Tsubaki, what have I told you about opening doors without knocking?" I said sternly, throwing my test away.

"I'm sorry. But you said we were in a hurry and Tsubaki doesn't want to be late."

I was smiling again as I turned to face my daughter. It was extremely hard to reprimand her and stay mad at her. I think it was because she was so cute, especially when she stood there in a dark blue yukata decorated with camellias. "All right, I forgive you. Just remember to not do that again."

"Okay," said Tsubaki, her big blue-green eyes staring up at me. It was hard to believe she was already four years old. She'd recently gotten a haircut to match my own short style; a lot of people jokingly call us sisters. Even so, with each birthday she grew to be more and more like Sasuke. Even though she had a lot of energy, she was mostly subdued in her daily routines and polite, easily reflecting her father. But there were times when she'd get mad that she'd get _mad_, but she knew how to balance her energy, taking a lot after me (I only reluctantly admitted to the anger part). In a sense, Tsubaki seemed like a good balance of Sasuke and me.

Unfortunately…my daughter had a bad influence. There were times she'd be playing and she'd drop a couple of curse words. I know neither of us have taught her those words, but she couldn't have just magically heard them. I had a sinking suspicion who was the culprit and his name began with 'N'.

_Ah well, that's not something to ponder for now._

I scooped Tsubaki up into my arms and headed into my bedroom. Sasuke was fitting himself in traditional ceremonial robes, reminding me I still needed to get dressed.

"Are you feeling okay, Sakura?" Sasuke asked over his shoulder.

"Yeah," I said, pulling out a bright red kimono decorated in cherry blossoms. I actually had very good news to tell him, but I knew it could wait until later.

Once all three of us were ready, we started heading out. Excited chatter could be heard all along the streets. Everyone was dressed up formally and everyone looked pleased. I found this both surprising and ironic, that Konoha was pleased about this occasion.

"So are we up on the balcony or in the crowd?" asked Sasuke.

"On the balcony," I said. "Naruto gave us clearance to be up there."

"Good. I don't want to stand in the crowds with all those people anyways." I knew where he was coming from; even after being pardoned four years ago, some villagers treated Sasuke with hostility, fear, or like a freak-show exhibit. He dealt with it in silence, being it was a price he had to pay, but it still got annoying for him.

I knew when we got to our destination how late it was; the whole area was swamped with people. Sasuke took hold of my hand and led us through, while I kept a tight grip on Tsubaki's hand.

"Mama, Tsubaki can't see anything!!" my daughter shouted up to me.

"Don't worry, honey, we'll be up somewhere where we can see everything," I assured her, but I tightened my grip on her hand. The last thing I wanted to do was lose her in this gigantic crowd.

Finally, we reached the front where two ANBU were standing guard. Sasuke spoke to them briefly and they let us pass.

Once we were inside, Sasuke showed us to an elevator and we went inside. As we went up, my nerves were all shot; I couldn't believe this was happening. It seemed too surreal to me.

_Come now, Sakura. You're not the only one who can have fulfilled dreams, right?_

I looked down at Tsubaki, who was smiling up at me. We were both very happy about what was going to happen today, although she didn't have any understanding why it was good. She would learn with time, though.

"I'm sort of surprised," said Sasuke suddenly. "That the idiot pulled it off."

"Naruto's not an idiot," I chastised cheerfully. "He's just…all right, he's an idiot."

Sasuke snorted. "But we have to put up with him anyways."

"I don't mind it too much."

"…Me either."

We reached the top floor and stepped out onto the balcony. It was swamped with ANBU officers and members of the council. I spotted Hinata at the front near the railing, flanked by many Hyuugas. We quickly spotted Kakashi and Sai and headed over to them.

"Well, well," said Kakashi blandly. "This is certainly an exciting occasion."

"Wow," said Sai, looking down at Tsubaki. "Your daughter looks nothing like you, Sakura. Good thing, too; wouldn't want her to inherit ugly."

I glared at him, but before I could say anything a shout came from behind us.

"All right, we're starting!!!" It was Tsunade. She swept past everyone towards the balcony rail, someone in the Hokage robes trailing behind her. Once she reached the front, the commotion below began to cease. When silence swept the area, she continued.

"As you all know, I have retired my duties as Godaime Hokage. Not that it hasn't been fun or anything, but a girl like me can only take so much responsibility."

"Oh dear God," muttered Koharu.

"But don't go thinking I've left the lot of you unprepared for the future; far from it. I've already and designated the Rokudaime Hokage position. He'll speak with you now and you may direct all you complaints and such to him."

Tsunade stepped aside, allowing the new Hokage to step forward. As they reached the rail, they paused there for a brief moment in silence. I was confused; didn't he want to say anything?

But then the Hokage hat was swept off his head and he punched the air with his free fist. "HEYA, BITCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I winced and pressed my hands over Tsubaki's ears.

Naruto let out a cackle that sounded maniacal as he surveyed the crowd…his village. "I am your new Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto!!!! I told every last one of you for years I would do it, and I DID!!!!!!"

Great, now he was gloating, lording his power over a village who once hated him. What a way to make an impression.

But then Naruto got serious. Somewhat. "I know what many of you are thinking. I know most of you don't like me and think I'm dangerous. I'm not gonna deny what I've got; the nine-tailed fox is inside me, even though we coexist at the moment.

"However…I've learned to accept this. I've protected this village constantly over and over again. I don't hold those bad feelings against any of you, but as your Hokage I only demand respect and trust. After what I went through growing up, I think you all owe me that.

"But like I said, I'm not holding grudges. I'm your Hokage now. And I swear to protect this village and everyone in it."

He was finished. The crowd below was still quiet; oh, the hell with them. I let go of Tsubaki and started clapping as hard as I could.

But then everyone was cheering, even the crowd. People chanted Naruto's name and confetti was released, fluttering across the village.

Naruto grinned from ear to ear, though his eyes were shining. He'd finally gotten acceptance from the village; even if it took becoming Hokage to do it.

"I still don't—" began Homura from behind me.

"Give it a rest," snapped Tsunade. "Naruto's my choice. He's very much like his father, after all."

"Being like someone doesn't change—" said Koharu.

"Just shut up. He's Hokage now and you two have to live with it and support him."

It was fun to watch Naruto so happy. He let loose a loud yell and pumped his fists to the air. He tossed aside his Hokage hat, which a nearby ANBU caught like a sucker punch to the stomach. Then he turned to Hinata, scooped her up, and started making out with her, to the ever growing horror of the other Hyuugas.

I clamped a hand over Tsubaki's eyes. "I see being named the Hokage hasn't changed him much!!"

Sasuke snorted. "I don't think it's a big deal. If he became all serious because of the job, he wouldn't be the same Naruto."

"Heya, bitches!!" said Tsubaki cheerfully.

Sasuke's face fell. "On second thought…"

Of course, there was a hug feast to honor our new Hokage. Naruto had wanted Ichiraku to cater the occasion, but Tsunade, Homura, and Koharu quickly shot that idea down. Nevertheless, the actual catering was a far cry from formal food. I took the opportunity to meet up with my friends.

"This is shocking, huh?" asked Ino playfully. "He actually pulled it off, becoming Hokage."

"He does love to keep his promises," I mused. I couldn't take my eyes off her baby son; he was just too adorable. "How's this little guy doing?"

"Oh, Katashi? He's doing all right. I _am _hoping he takes after me over his father—"

"You mean in brain power or appetite?" I teased, not wanting to hear another drawn-out tangent against Chouji. I was still amazed how he managed to snag Ino, who was by far one of the most egotistical people I've ever known. Ah well, it's none of my business.

"Both," drawled Ino, glaring in her husband's direction. "Look, he's eating _everything_ off the trays!!"

I laughed feebly. "Well, I'll see you around."

I next ran into Lee, who was using a very heavy looking tray for weight-lifting. "Aren't you going to eat, Lee-san?"

"I will eat when I am done with my training!!!" he declared, not breaking stride.

"All right." I felt sad for Lee. Even after all these years and friends around us coupling up, Lee still hadn't found anyone. I didn't dare think he still held a candle for me, but I was hoping he would catch some girl's eye. Then again, at the moment he didn't seem too focused on finding a girlfriend. I could only hope he'd find happiness sometime soon.

And speaking of friends coupling, I ran into Tenten not too long afterwards. "Tenten-san!!" I noticed very quickly she was sitting alone

"What a celebration, huh?" she mused. "I'm still bracing myself for a Konoha until Naruto."

I laughed at this. "I think we all are." I looked around us. "Is Neji-san here?"

"He's discussing something with a few ANBU. You should've seen him when Naruto planted that kiss on Hinata-san; he looked about ready to run up there and make an example out of him."

"Hiashi-sama looked like smoke was coming out of his ears."

We both laughed at this. Then I asked the important question. "Has he proposed yet?"

"No," said Tenten miserably. "And I don't think it's gonna happen anytime soon. It took _two years_ to get to this point with him; I shudder to think how long it will take to be offered marriage."

I smiled sympathetically at her and patted her shoulder. "Good luck with that, Tenten-san."

Parties seem to bring out a silly side to people. As I headed back to my own table, some of the more dignified ninja in our village were becoming completely shit-faced, falling all over each other and telling humiliating stories they would never say sober.

When I did make it back, Naruto and Sasuke were in deep discussion. Tsubaki was shoving a bunch of sweets in her mouth, Sai looked utterly bored, and Kakashi was reading his trashy romance novel. The rest of the table was minor conversations going on.

"—don't really need to do it," said Sasuke.

"But I _want_ to," said Naruto. "And as the Rokudaime Hokage—the greatest Hokage of all time—my word is law!!!!"

"You've been Hokage for only six hours. Besides, I accepted the terms of my return here under the Godaime Hokage. I'm completely satisfied with how things are now."

"Well, _I'm _not and that's what counts!!!"

"What's going on?" I asked, retaking my seat.

"Naruto—" began Sasuke.

"Hokage-sama!!!" corrected Naruto smugly.

"—Naruto has decided to lift Tsunade's decree over me. I would have my full pardon along with the freedom to resume my ninja duties."

"Take it!!" I cried. "This is a perfect opportunity!!!"

"I already said I didn't want to. I'm fine with how things are."

"So you'd _like_ being my accountant?" asked Naruto incredulously.

"Wait, weren't you Tsunade-sensei's accountant?" I asked.

"The employment contract was for the Hokage, not Tsunade. So technically I could stay on under Naruto—"

"Hokage-sama!!!"

"—Naruto's accountant."

Naruto puffed out his chest. "…As Hokage, I accept your answer for now. But you better bet I'll be hounding you for acceptance until you say yes!!!!"

An evil smirk broke out across Sasuke's face. "And as your accountant, you better bet I'll be cutting you spending costs every chance I get."

Naruto quickly went pale and broke off from the conversation.

I started digging into my meal and Tsubaki…well; let's just say my daughter can be such a _darling _sometimes.

"Mama's eating a lot!!" she pointed out very loudly.

I laughed sarcastically and glared at my daughter. "Very funny, Tsubaki."

Tsubaki 'eeped' and looked straight at her lap.

"That _is _a lot of food," observed Sasuke, though in a quieter tone. "What, are you pregnant again?"

I choked.

"Holy crap Sasuke, thanks for the reminder!!!" Naruto yelled suddenly.

"Um, Naruto-kun—" said Hinata quietly.

"Everyone, listen!!" he banged his fist on the table a few times before he was sure the entire assembled party had his attention. "Your Hokage has great news!!! He's having a baby!!!!!"

"EH?!?!" screamed Sasuke and me.

Hinata looked beyond embarrassed. But she forced a smile and waved feebly at the people gaping at them in shock.

Nobody seemed more shocked than the Hyuugas, especially Hiashi. While Hanabi ran over to give Hinata a hug, he was glaring at Naruto. Man, if looks could kill…

But for the practical side, most everyone reacted positively. Their Hokage wedding the Hyuuga heir definitely seemed like a good match, even if their Hokage was a little less refined.

"'He's having a baby'?" repeated Sai in a monotone voice. "So is it you or Hinata that's carrying the runt?"

"Don't be a smartass," snapped Naruto.

"On that note, who's name is the baby gonna have? You two ain't married."

I'm sure _that_ prospect was even more embarrassing for Hinata's family.

"Well, uh—" began Naruto but quickly stiffened. He spared a glance at Hiashi and forced a smile. "Don't spoil the surprises!! I was plannin' on doing that tonight!!!!"

Hinata's red face lit up. "R-R-Really, Naruto-kun?!"

"Sure!!!" he thrust a fist into the air. "Wanna marry me, Hinata?"

Hinata stammered and began hyperventilating. Then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell out of her chair.

"Sister!!" cried Hanabi, catching her before she hit the ground.

Naruto stared dumbly at this situation, even as Hyuugas swarmed around the two sisters. Even as they fussed over Hinata, I couldn't help but notice hers and Hanabi's foreheads; they were bare. Even after the stress on Hinata's heart and recommendations to retire her, Hiashi still named her the heir. The other Hyuugas were a bit upset over that, but Hinata had a lot of backing and eventually earned their respect.

Although, now…

"Hey, wouldn't a pregnancy be too hard for her heart?" asked Sai. "What if the labor causes another attack?"

"Stop being such a fucking killjoy!!" I snapped, punching him in the arm.

"Fooking!!" cheered Tsubaki.

Sasuke glanced at her. "Sakura—"

"I know, you don't have to tell me." I glared at Sai. "You should've kicked his ass when you got the chance…"

"Sasuke was the one who forgave me civilly," said Sai smugly. "And I'm not the one who said 'fuck' in front of your daughter."

"You just did," said Sasuke.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Um…was that a no?"

"I fear for the future," said Sai.

"Eh?" Kakashi looked up from his book. "Did you say something?"

---

The party ended with a pretty big bang. Naruto got the 'assurances' that Hinata agreed to marry him and we all went our ways in the wee hours of the morning.

I sighed heavily and stretched out my arms as we walked home. Tsubaki had fallen asleep hours ago and Sasuke was carrying her. I couldn't help but look up at the night sky, littered with stars and the full moon.

_Just like that night…_

I stopped in my tracks, but I didn't feel disgusted or resentful. I never wanted that sort of thing to happen to me again, but I feel that I've overcome what happened. Had circumstances been different, things might not have turned out the way they did.

And I was happy. I'd felt so awful and lost for such a long time, but now I had a family again. I had a husband and a daughter and I loved them. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Except…

"Sakura." I turned to see Sasuke standing just behind me. "What's wrong?"

I smiled a little and pressed a hand to Tsubaki's small back. "There's something I haven't told you yet."

"That's you're pregnant?"

I moved my hand away. "So you already knew?"

"After Naruto announced Hinata's pregnancy, you seemed pretty upset with Sai. I could sense a sort of disruption from your chakra and then I knew."

"Hmm…" I pressed a hand to my stomach. "I only found out this morning when I took a pregnancy test. She seemed to be acting up and so I thought 'what the hell'. Turns out, I'm positive."

"…We're having another girl?" asked Sasuke.

I shrugged. "I dunno. I'll schedule an appointment at the hospital and find out then."

"…Tell me when you do, I want to go with you."

I couldn't stop smiling. "Okay."

We continued on our way. I couldn't resist asking him, "Will you consider Naruto's offer?"

"…Maybe," said Sasuke. "But there's a lot I have to pay for that he's willing to let slid. And I don't want to risk passing on my techniques."

"You already burned your family texts so Tsubaki couldn't read them, wasn't that enough?"

"Not quite yet. The Uchihas are one of the greatest clans in Konoha. But I won't uphold the reputation of powerful super ninjas at the cost of the well-being of my children. Especially my daughter…s."

"…All right, I understand. This is something you decided years ago, after all."

"Like I said, I'll consider the offer. Just not right now."

I stopped walking and turned to hug him. It took him off-guard, but we avoided waking Tsubaki up. "I love you, you know that Sasuke-kun?"

"Yeah," said Sasuke. "And I love you too."

I pulled back and looked at him. It was very rare for him to say those words. "Really?"

"Would I put up with…all this otherwise?"

I laughed and gave him a kiss. "Let's go home."

He managed a smile. "Yeah, let's go home."

It was a long and horrible road to get where we're at now, but we made it. We live in peace. We're happy. And we love each other. And no matter what happened next, how many children we had or potential disasters that might face us, I was happy with the present.

Sasuke came back. He chose to live. And he gave me Tsubaki, a wonderful child. I don't think I could ask for anything more.


End file.
